Nine Months Due
by Kaytee Kudo
Summary: The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence… LxLight; OOCness; Mpreg; contains yaoi
1. A glimpse before the madness

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T as a general rating, with the exception of Chapter 3 and 4, which will be rated M

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters, Lots of OOCness in this fic. Don't say I didn't warn you.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

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**Prologue**

**A Glimpse before the madness**

Neither of them knew when it started. Or, to put it correctly, none of them wanted to admit that something did. Nevertheless, it happened, even when the both had been doing ways to deny it, or to avoid anything that has to do with it.

It could have been for a lot of reasons. It may have been that, since the Kira case was so frustrating enough to begin with, working with certain people (coughMatsuda!cough) only worsens the situation, such as when the time when he went on his own in the Yotsuba group. And although thankfully, that whole episode had been taken care of (no thanks to Matsuda), it had been, nonetheless, stressful for the both of them. No matter how much of a genius they are, they still need an outlet to relieve all of that stress.

It might have also been because of the circumstances they were suddenly forced to deal with. Even geniuses have their needs, and frankly, it had been a very long time for either of them. It just happened that, being chained together restricts other options for them, and so at that time, that had been the most convenient decision to do.

The reasons can go for hours and it will go back to the conclusion that it did happen, even if they both do their best to deny it.

Ryuuk had never sent the Shinigami world this active before, and he felt weird. Where had all the boringness gone off to?

"Hey, Ryuuk. A little birdie told me you're in for a lot of trouble today"

Gukku, who used to gamble so much apparently was not gambling today. That in itself should be an indication.

"Eh, what did I do?" Ryuuk resisted the urge to point out that birds don't exist in this realm, and settled for the clueless look.

"Oh, you'll find out for yourself right?" He snickered off, leaving a very pissed off Ryuuk.

"There you are, Ryuuk! We have been looking all over for you!"

And in the background, he could see a majority of Shinigami heading toward him.

Even his notorious puzzled look didn't help his case.

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A/N: Yayz! So far this is my second DN fic. I've made this just for fun, as a break from writing Light Generation (please read it too). As such, I don't know if I can establish an update schedule for it, meaning it will update when I'm in the mood. And I'd be lenient on the writing style so please go easy on me. This is, also, my first attempt at doing Humor/romance fics.

I've posted this before, but let me reiterate my stand on reviews:

Light: Reviews are not food, so Author's won't starve to death. I can stop giving you reviews, right?

Kaytee (aka, me): J-just wait a minute, Light! For me, see...reviews...are like...Well, like cigarettes and liquor for humans...If I'm deprived, I go into withdrawal...

Light: What're your symptoms?

Kaytee: I twist my body like a pretzel...and do handstands...

Light: I'd rather not see that...

Umm...right. You get the idea, right?

This also applies to my other fics, so please review if you liked it. Also, please forgive me for being annoying but if you have time, please read my other fic, Light Generation. You can find it in my author's page. I'd really appreciate it if you do. Reviewing/giving criticisms/suggestions help too, since I'm having trouble with inspiration lately. Thanks for your time!


	2. First Comes Love

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T as a general rating, with the exception of Chapter 3 and 4, which will be rated M

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters, Lots of OOCness in this fic. Don't say I didn't warn you.

**Quick Recap of Prologue:** We see Ryuuk being called forth to the Shinigami World. It seems that there is something troubling the Shinigami King...what is that, I wonder?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One**

**First Comes Love**

L, of all people, could not believe himself. He was a detective by nature, and he had devoted his entire life in pursuing justice, which in time earned him the title of best detective. Three of the best, to be precise, as he took it in himself to beat his rivals.

That, all the more would be a good reason for him to not act like that given his situation. He would have acted more…professional, like a detective should. It's not like he does this all the time. In fact, this had been a first for him.

Normally, he would have acted like he always did—in the most professional way he could. He was a detective after all. He was most likely born one, as he can't remember not acting like one.

As weird looking as he may be, and no matter how many quirks he had, L has, in fact, a certain rule that he never failed to follow—a code of conduct, so to speak, his way of living. It has never once failed him, and it constantly guides every decision he undertakes, it was a very simple rule, but following it required a tremendous amount of discipline, dedication and sacrifice.

L, as a rule, does not get involved with his suspects.

It was a very simple rule, and for all these years on his career as a detective, it was never breached. In fact, he usually stayed at least a thousand meters away from his suspects, which led him on a sub-rule that he also followed religiously.

L does not put his emotions on a case.

These two rules had never failed him once, and always led him to the successful closure of the cases he faced. He was supposed to apply these two rules on every case he ever had, and this should have been what he had done on such a crucial case as the Kira case.

Ironically, the same two rules were easily forgotten when he took up the Kira case. He got involved. His prime suspect saw his face, talked to him, and even shared coffee with him. Eventually, things happened so fast that L couldn't even believe that he was the one doing it.

The moment he saw Raito, he couldn't stop looking at him. At first it was—a general interest, a curiosity, a possibility that that person could be Kira. He set up bugs on the boy's house to sate that curiosity, and watched his every move through the screen, and he just couldn't help himself. He wanted to know more.

He dismissed it as a natural tendency of a person, when he was nearing on discovering the criminal behind the heinous crime, a thought that excites him. Surely, he wanted to know about this boy in order to pin him even further into the crime. It was all for self-jusification, for him to know that he was right.

Then, a point came to his life when watching live videos of his suspect was not enough for him. He wanted to get closer, to see him off-camera. L explained to himself that it was all for the sake of catching Kira, and so he did.

He entered the school Raito took, sharing in the boy's moment of glory by tieing with him in the exams, became his classmate, played tennis with him, hung out with him. He was even there when the boy's father got into an accident. He spent so much time with Raito that he memorized even his speech patterns, his idiosyncrasies, his attitude. He was obsessed with him. It was definitely all because of the growing possibility of Raito being Kira, and not for anything else. L told himself that he was observing every action of Raito to find if it would increase the possibility of the boy being Kira, nothing more, it was all in a day's work.

When Misa came to the picture, his suspicions increased even more, and he looked for any evidence that would point to her being second Kira. His interest was only centered on this one Kira, any others would be just a hindrance, and should be taken cared of immediately.

Raito voluntarily surrendered after that, and he kept him on a cell to monitor him at all times. He watched him non-stop that he saw every breath the boy took, watched him sleep fitfully at night, watched him everyday, that he can tell how many times the boy breathed in a day. It was an obsession, but a healthy one, he noted. This was Kira, after all, and any detective was bound to be obsessed with the criminal they were catching.

He was enjoying himself; the boy was enough to keep him occupied for the day, ignoring all people around him that even Matsuda's clumsiness did not bother him at all.

But these arrangements were bound to have complications, somehow. He predicted that Chief Yagami, as Raito's father would defend his son and side with him in a biased way, as fathers were bound to do in order to protect their children. What he didn't anticipate was how much Souichiro really loved his son, that he did the most extreme action he could possibly do. And although it was L who suggested it, he never expected the police chief to actually do it.

It was a slight miscalculation that went a long way, since, majority of the task force still places their loyalty to the chief over L, and when they started confronting him of his ways, he got very disappointed, and annoyed that they would oppose him. That was, when he racked his brain for a solution to all of this—desperation. Not because of anything else, it was, just that he was desperate in catching Kira. He fights for justice, after all, and he will not let this chance slip away.

He would not admit it but, when he saw Yagami Raito struggle like that, he got excited, and he enjoyed the show of both father and son: the helplessness, the desperate reasoning, the desire to escape. It thrilled him, in every part of his body. He wanted to see more, he wanted to know more, about his suspect, about Kira. Everything the Yagami boy did awakened his senses, and he couldn't help himself.

So he chained Raito to him. Of course, there were arguments about it, but L wouldn't have it. They would just have to accept it, and as L, he always got what he wanted.

Raito also found this arrangement uncomfortable, but he had to live with it. After all, his desire to be found innocent was just stronger than anything else in the world to him, and that was how L got what he wanted. And then, he realized that the real thing was better than the one he watched on the screen, and was pleased that his decision was right.

That was when things started to change, and his interest in Raito increased tenfold, that it went haywire. He memorized everything about Raito—his wardrobe, his train of thought, his emotions and his mannerisms, his sleeping pattern. L never sleeps so he watched Raito sleep at night, watches him 24/7, watches him in his thoughts, and in the extremely rare case that he falls asleep, watches him in his dream. He'd never let go of Raito, and guards whoever he converses with, guards him even from his father. He doesn't even allow him to date Misa, as he had promised, save for that one time, and that was because everyone pressured him to do so. They fought that time, enough reason for it never to be repeated again.

Raito was so…interesting. Everything about him was worth knowing. L especially loves it when he sleeps. The boy sleeps so peacefully, so quietly, and his face shifts from serious to innocent, to angelic, to the most beautiful sleeper. However, those quiet moments never lasted long, as when in deep sleep, in the wee hours of the morning, when he assumed the boy to be dreaming, he would start to cry.

It was soft sobbing at first, which would develop into violent tears and moans, filled with sadness. Usually, it would stop when L gently touched his face, and it would calm him down and resume to the quiet, angelic, sleep L enjoyed watching.

But one day, it was different. The boy was screaming in his sleep, and he was shivering cold, that even L's touch could not stop him. He was crying and thrashing violently. And without thinking, L embraced him and comforted him.

"Shhh…it's okay…it's all right…"

"Dad…"

L heard that one word, that was almost choked up with the boy's crying, and knew immediately what had caused this. Ignoring his own guilty feelings, he patted the boy's shoulder, and held him tighter.

"I'm here…it's okay…"

Gradually, the boy stopped crying, and fell asleep again. However, nothing was the same ever again.

When Raito woke up to find L staring at him, everything changed. L began to see him in a different light, and saw him for what he is, saw his insecurities, his sadness, his nightmares, his emotions.

Before he knew it, he was in love. He would not call it anything else. He could not find any other explanation. There was no other word that would perfectly describe what he felt. He was in love, and that in it sounded logical to him. He was in love with Yagami Raito, his prime suspect, who he knew one hundred percent to be Kira.

He was in love, and he knew, he was trapped.


	3. Then Comes Denial

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T (but Chapters 3 and 4 are rated M, which could be easily skipped without missing any of the plot)

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap of Previous Chapter:** L took the Kira case out of urgency, and discovered Raito. Soon, he realizes that his stalker-like attitude was not merely just because of his suspicion from the boy, but because he has feelings for him...

**Disclaimer: **You already know that I don't own Death note right? But I'm still telling you here...redundant, isn't it?

**

* * *

****Chapter Two**

**Then comes denial**

L already knew that he loved Raito

When L discovered that his feelings for Raito had actually been love, things started to get awkward. There wasn't a single day that he wouldn't feel self-conscious by just being with the boy.

Sometimes, it gets to a point where he starts thinking that the handcuffs were a bad idea after all. He couldn't help it, but whenever he sees Raito look at him, heat suddenly rushes in his body to his face faster than the boy could say "Ryuuzaki". And he could swear that he could feel electric shocks spark on him with every accidental brush of the hand, or any contact for that matter, with the young Yagami-kun.

He was often tempted to shout at the boy to stay at least ten feet away from him, but quickly he realized that it would contradict whatever he had said weeks ago, which felt like years for him and decided to just put up with it.

Yagami Raito's voice woke him earlier than any coffee could ever do, or sweets for that matter, making him antsier than usual. It doesn't help that they share the same bed either, as he found Raito more beautiful when he slept. Especially now that he doesn't have any nightmares anymore, he practically looked like an angel. And L couldn't stop looking at him, occasionally catching that rare smile on the boy's lips, that never failed to jumpstart L's heart to 200 miles per second.

It was troublesome, and Raito was not making it easy for him. He kept getting close to L, closer than L found tolerable, not even noticing the effects it was causing the detective. It came to a point where L would freeze for a few seconds upon contact before returning to normal, delaying the time L would have spent on solving the case. Sometimes, he thought that Raito purposely did that to hinder the case. Now, if only connect it with Raito being Kira…

These days, he was a little more lenient on Raito. He allowed the boy to shower alone, sleep earlier, and sometimes, when no one was around, take off the chain for a few hours. In L's previous standards, this could have counted as slacking off, wasting chances on observing his suspects and letting them on their own might lead to danger. But, L thought, that being with Raito on his personal moments would lead him to more danger, not to mention embarrassment and awkwardness on his part. Besides, he could watch the video feeds later, or make Watari do it.

L was busy musing these things when the distinct voice of the boy brought him back to reality.

"Hey L, are you even listening?"

L blinked, and looked back at the irritated boy beside him.

"I was listening, it was only that I have more important things preoccupying my mind…"

"You always disregard me." Raito looked offended, but continued on. "Anyway, I think this will cheer you up, Ryuuzaki."

Raito motioned him to look at his laptop and L's wide eyes widened even more a he saw it.

"Raito-kun…you…"

"I've been working on this lately, since you're giving me some time alone, I got to think clearly, and figured out the pattern of the recent Kira killings. I narrowed down the suspects and eventually traced it to this company."

"Yotsuba…"

"They're a very large company, but somehow, all of the killings during Fridays can be associated with them, in one way or another, and these deaths benefit their company. The victims don't die of heart attacks but I concluded that there could be different ways Kira could kill other than heart attacks."

Raito was looking proud, since his information got everyone's attention, and they were impressed. Matsuda gave a stupid face in what meant to be awe, while his father patted him on the back for a good job.

L was so happy that he wanted to kiss Raito and was having a hard tome restraining himself. Raito's father, not to mention his colleagues happen to be there, and he couldn't bring himself to think what might happen if he followed his desires.

"Well done, Raito-kun."

Raito was smiling smugly.

"This is great!" Matsuda exclaimed. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Nothing at the moment. We need to confirm this information further. Without evidence, we cannot arrest them. But now we already have a lead. We will just have to wait."

L turned to look at Raito, and noticed a disappointed look on the boy's face, but only briefly. The task force was so hyped up to even notice, and he watched the boy join the crew.

Neither of them talked that night, and while this had been going on for the past few weeks now, L knew that this night was different, judging from the boy's face that time/

He turned to look at the boy, who was facing away from him, not making a sound.

"Raito-kun"

No response. Well, that was expected.

"There is no need to be upset, Raito-kun. It is not like you."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

He found the said boy suddenly turn to him, eyes glaring in irritation.

"I have observed Raito-kun thoroughly, and I have memorized his actions and reactions, and this is unlike him."

Raito huffed, and turned to his back again, and if not for the detective's sharp ears, he wouldn't have heard the barely audible "Pervert" comment the boy muttered under his breath.

"You're calling me a pervert, Raito-kun?" L said loudly, and the boy twitched.

"Of course" Raito said as a matter-of-factly, not bothering to face L. "You're the only one I know who can make stalking legal."

"It is not stalking, Raito-kun. I am merely observing every action of my prime suspect in order to predict his next move."

"Whatever"

Silence.

"Ryuuzaki?"

"Yes, Raito-kun?"

"You still think I'm Kira, right?"

"Of course, Raito-kun."

L braced himself, but nothing happened. The boy just stayed quiet, that L was about to assume that he was asleep.

"Then, you think that my theory on Yotsuba was wrong, don't you?"

"I didn't say that, Raito-kun."

"But, you think I'm Kira. So Yotsuba…"

"I was thinking that Yotsuba might have gotten Kira's powers, and one of them might be acting under Kira's influence. I did not dismiss your idea, Raito-kun."

"But still, you think I am Kira."

"Yotsuba must be acting according to Kira's plan."

"I didn't plan this, Ryuuzaki."

"I know, Raito-kun."

"So how can I be Kira, if you think this wasn't my plan?"

"I am not sure, Raito-kun."

The silence got uncomfortable, and L opened his laptop to get away from it. it was when he heard sobbing that he realized he couldn't anyway.

"Raito-kun is crying"

"I'm not. You're just imagining things."

"I know that Raito-kun is crying, and it is bothering me."

"Well, sorry if it did, Ryuuzaki-san. I'll try not to bother you."

But the sobbing continued, and L sighed.

"That is really unnecessary, Raito-kun."

"What is?"

"This crying. I doubt it would convince me of your innocence."

"I'm not…" *sob* "doing this as a trick, Ryuuzaki."

Raito violently rubbed his eyes. "You can stop associating this as Kira-like behavior."

"Why is Raito-kun crying for, anyway?"

"None of your business! It's not like you'd know, Mr. Insensitive Detective!"

"I do not prefer to be called like that, Raito-kun, and I think I have the right to know, since it is bothering me."

"Figure it out for yourself, why don't you!"

L sighed again, not liking the situation at all.

"I am not ignoring Raito-kun's ideas, in fact I value them highly. He should not be upset about it."

Raito ignored him with a 'humph', and L thought that he was being immature.

"He did a really good job tacking down Yotsuba. I am impressed."

"But you still think that I might be Kira…"

"Again, Raito-kun, I believe that right now you are not Kira, but there might be a time when you are, and I have reason to believe that it was transferred to someone in Yotsuba."

"You really hate me, don't you?"

"On the contrary, Raito-kun. I believe I mentioned that you were my first friend."

"So, why do you want me to be Kira so badly?"

"It must be because you are the only one I will consider as a worthy opponent, Raito-kun, and I treat Kira as that."

"You're weird L. I don't understand you."

"But I like you, Raito-kun, enough to recognize your potential to be my tival."

Raito sighed, and cursed L for having such a fucked-up logic.

"I'm not Kira, L."

L stared at the boy for a full minute, thinking what he should say, until he settled for something.

"Go back to sleep, Raito-kun."

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A/n: How'd you like the chapter so far? I know, not much development but they just can't jump each other out of the blue right? Hehe...I'm aware I've made Light a little (very) OOC in this chapter...and it will be the same in the future, just so you know...

Unn...ah! I can't say this! I'll just say that I'm excited for next chapter...though I'm a bit nervous too...damn these mixed emotions...Oh well, see you next time, ok?


	4. Then Comes

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **This particular chapter is rated M! Please don't read if you're not into reading M themed chapters, you can actually catch up with the story without reading chapters 3 and 4.

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Quick Recap of Previous Chapter: **Upon discovering his feelings for Raito, L finds it hard to work on the case now that he is literally close to the object of his desire. Meanwhile, Raito gets a lead to the case, pinning it down to Yotsuba, however, feels under-appreciated when L didn't felt too excited about it.

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Three**

**Then comes…**

The first time they had sex was the day Matsuda tried to become a hero.

They were progressing on the Yotsuba Company steadily, but Matsuda felt that it was still not enough and acted on his own. It was really foolish, and dangerous, something Matsuda would typically do given the chance.

L was pissed off, naturally, and immediately decided to take off Matsuda from the team, and abandon him. Raito, however, thought differently. Instead, he headed to the door in an attempt to rescue Matsuda.

"Raito-kun will not go there to save Matsuda-san. He will stay here and continue working on the case." L stubbornly said.

"No, I won't, Ryuuzaki-san." Raito said, just as stubbornly. "I will go there and help Matsuda. We cannot abandon one of our men. He is a part of the team."

"Matsuda already left the team the moment he acted on his own. I will not tolerate another foolish act such as this one."

"I will go, and you cannot stop me, L. I am free to decide on my own, too."

Figuring that Raito will not stop unless he was brutally harmed to even move an inch of his muscle, he decided that he had to take this matter into his own hands. As soon as Raito turned to his back, L immediately immobilized him by a move Watari taught him years ago, that paralyzed half of the victim's body for a few minutes, and was intended to be used in order to escape. He never thought that he would have to use it to anyone, but Raito proved to be more stubborn than he thought, and he was desperate. Ignoring Raito's yelp of pain, and the team's curious faces, L continued walking towards the boy, and dragged him away.

"Raito-kun and I will be discussing this privately. I suggest you all continue working on the case until then. If Matsuda-san comes back alive, then that will be the only time we will deal with him."

The officers just stared at him and L went on dragging the limp boy with him. Souichiro Yagami looked worried at his son.

"Ryuuzaki…" he started, but L ignored him and headed to the door.

After a long, painful walk (on Raito's part) to their room, L carried him to the bed, and chained him to the bedpost. Raito tried not to wince and glared at Ryuuzaki, who was not doing this gently at all, considering his paralyzed body.

"Release me, L. I don't agree to this anymore. I'm going to do what I think is right."

"Raito-kun is very stubborn to the point of annoying sometimes. I wonder how others deal with this behavior."

"They usually let me do what I want, Ryuuzaki, and you should do the same."

"No wonder Raito-kun turned out like this. He is a spoiled child."

Raito glared at L even harsher than before, with all the hate radiating from within him.

"Sometimes, Raito-kun should learn to follow orders from people older than him. He might be surprised on how better things turn out to be."

"My life's turning out fine the way it is", Raito spat. "You have no right to meddle in my decisions." He tried to break free from the chains, and started thrashing wildly.

"On the contrary, Raito-kun. I have every right to do so. It is my duty to preserve the life of my number one suspect, before I put him to justice." L moved closer to him, and held his arms, to restrain any violent movement. At this rate, Raito might hurt himself if no one stopped him. "And my prime suspect should just do what I say, before I start concluding that he is Kira."

Raito stopped thrashing, and stared at the man, searching for an answer. "You wouldn't..."

"I am L. I can do anything and they will believe me. Please don't make me do it, for Raito-kun's sake."

L watched the boy stare at him in shock, presumably in the middle of an internal struggle. Suddenly, he felt the boy's body tremble, in what he assumed to be fear. Only that, as Raito's body trembled even further, tears also started welling up his eyes.

_Oh, man. _L hated it when he cries.

"Raito-kun should stop crying when there is no reason to do so."

"Shut up, L", the boy shouted as he quickly rubbed his eyes.

"Why is Raito-kun crying anyway?"

The sobbing just went on.

"People don't really care for me, don't they? No one takes me seriously"

Raito was miserably failing on his attempt to stop the tears from falling by now, and was starting to rub his eyes more vigorously.

"Excuse me…?"

"My opinion doesn't matter to anyone. Everyone's just making a fool out of me."

"Raito-kun, seriously, stop this…"

"I want to prove my innocence. I want to fight for my justice, and yet, people dismiss it as childish. Maybe what I've been fighting for all my life was all so useless."

"Raito-kun…"

"You only treat me like that because you think I'm Kira. If you didn't you wouldn't even know I exist. I hate this!"

It was then that the tears developed into an uncontrollable crying. Ryuuzaki sighed.

"That's not true, Raito-kun. I am serious when I told you that you are my first friend. I don't say that to just anyone I know."

L used the end of his shirt to wipe away Raito's tears.

"There might even be a possibility that I like you more than that."

"Hmph… You don't need to mollify me with those lies, Ryuuzaki."

"I don't lie to Raito-kun. In fact, I might be able to prove it, but I could not because I am concerned about Raito-kun's state of mind."

"And that just proves that you don't take me seriously."

"I take Raito-kun seriously, but I am more afraid of what I can do, if he continues to act this way."

He wasn't lying. L could feel his body heat rise up to new heights, and feared that he might do things that he would regret later if this continues.

"You think I can't handle it? I'm an adult now! You don't have to treat me like a child!"

"Yes, but…"

"Dammit! I'm ready for anything you could…"

Before he knew it, he felt warm lips touching his own, effectively stopping him from talking any further, and when he gasped at realizing this, he felt L's tongue already sliding into his wide open mouth, devouring him passionately, kissing him in a way he never thought possible, as if it was the only way to sustain his life. It lasted only for a few moments, and as Raito panted heavily, trying to catch his breath, L spoke at last.

"Raito-kun has no idea how hard it is to control myself when I'm with him. He is torturing me, and he must be punished."

Raito blushed brightly at that, but did not realize it himself because his attention was quickly shifted at L, who was quickly stripping him of all clothing. It happened so fast, and he could swear that he heard his shirt ripped several stitches as L hurriedly undressed him.

'L, wha…"

L was already naked too, and was touching the boy in several places at a time, as if he had eight hands instead of two.

"Aah!…"

Raito screamed as L pinched his nipple hard, and began sucking it loudly.

"Uh…ah…Ryuu…ah!"

Hands were all over him.

"Ss…ah!…Ryuu…" Raito couldn't even get a single word out, as L continued touching him.

"Ryuu…"

His eyes shot up as he felt something foreign enter him, something hard and huge, and his body froze as he realized what it was.

"Ahh!"

He screamed loudly, that if it wasn't for the fact that they were in a sound proof room, everyone would have heard, and would know exactly what they were doing.

His body tensed at the sudden push of the hardness inside of him, as he grabbed Ryuuzaki's back fiercely, digging his fingers on the detective that would scar him later.

L did not pay any attention to this, and began quickening his pace.

"Ryuu…hah…zaki…"

Raito panted. Then L pushed entirely, and Raito screamed at the top of his lungs.

"L!"

* * *

L closed the door to their room as he found the teary-eyed boy lying on his back, refusing to face him.

"I've already dismissed the investigation team for today, and I've talked to Matsuda-san. He seems fine." L began.

The teen just kept silent.

"Raito-kun has no reason to be upset about it. I understand him completely."

"It really hurt, dammit!" Raito countered, face flushing red on his still teary eyes.

"Which is why I understand, Raito-kun. It is not his fault that he has a low tolerance for pain."

"You don't have to rub it in!" Raito almost shouted. "And I don't have a low tolerance for pain. I can take it on if I want to!"

"Would Raito-kun care to do it now?"

"No!"

He gave the detective a death glare, which L found cute what with the tears decorating his eyes, giving away the threat.

L finished drinking his coffee as he went back to bed, lying next to Raito.

"There is no need to be upset, Raito-kun. I got forceful and forgot all about you. We'll try again next time when you're ready." Raito blushed.

He hugged the boy and planted a light kiss on his cheek.

"Sleep well, Raito-kun."

"Ryuuzaki?"

"Yes, Raito-kun?" L looked at the set of alluring eyes below him.

"Shut up."

L embraced him tighter, and kissed him gently.

"I love you too, Raito-kun."

The chains came back on the next day, and L couldn't help but smirk as he saw the boy walking awkwardly as he kept up with L's pace. He tried his best not to laugh as the boy talked his way out of his father, convincing him that everything was okay.

Apparently, he had the idea that L beat him up when only L came out of the room and dismissed them, and was so concerned that he fussed all over his son. While it was amusing to see Raito try not to wince in pain like that to show his father that he was not hurt, he did not find it enjoyable to receive a death glare from the chief he shot every now and then. Truthfully, it scared him, and decided not to make it worst today.

L had to admit, that although their little activity came to an abrupt halt when Raito screamed like that (saying that he couldn't take it anymore), he could still consider it as one of the most mind-blowing he had ever in his lifetime. It certainly could not match to any of his previous 'casual sex' with various people. Heck, it was so hot that he wanted to do it again.

L resumed to his typing as he secretly hoped for that to happen again.

* * *

A/N: I honestly didn't know what was going on my mind while writing this, I mean, does it even carry the story forward? Oh well...I enjoyed this chapter so I posted it anyway. I rated it M to be safe, I can't be too sure if this is still appropriate to be rated T, so...

This is my first attempt at ...er...lime? I've never realized how hard it was until I actually wrote it. I mean, I can't resist the urge to squeal or giggle at every sentence (me being the perv that I am). So, I salute those authors who write these!

Please also have time to read my other fics, Light Generation (Rated T) and Right Hand Man (rated T too). I've worked hard on these fics, so I think it's also a good read. (Neither of the two are yaoi, or any of the sort). These fics have new chapters each, btw, as a part of my triple release. Go read it now!

While reviews would not guarantee the speed of story's chapter release, it would nonetheless cheer up an anxious author, and might become the source of inspiration for better and faster chapters. If you think that the author has done a good job, please don't hesitate to tell them in a review!


	5. The Gods Must Have a Hand in This

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **This particular chapter is rated M! Please don't read if you're not into reading M themed chapters, you can actually catch up with the story without reading chapters 3 and 4.

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter: **Matsuda decided to ignore orders from L and pursued Yotsuba on his own, which led him to trouble. Raito and L had a heated argument on whether to save Matsuda or not, but it later just turned to a major misunderstanding, bringing up issues from the past. The tension between them was enough for L and lost control, claiming the boy for the first time, but it was interrupted when Raito cried...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**The gods must have a hand in this**

Needless to say, it happened the night before Higuchi's arrest, that in itself was reason enough, to say the least. Events began to unfold so quickly that both of them barely had enough time to think. The next thing they knew, they were on the verge of capturing the suspected Kira.

It was a crucial time for them, enough to make them feel anxious. Everything has to be perfect, seeing that even the slightest mistake could lead to complications. Frankly, the plan seemed almost too perfect that Raito couldn't help but feel that there must be something wrong with it.

"Is something wrong, Raito-kun?"

L cocked his head to the side to face Raito. They were in bed, but it was all obviously for Raito's well being. L, in fact, was still working on the finishing touches with his plan, and was typing something in his laptop. Raito shot him a death glare, but said nothing.

"Raito-kun should be sleeping by now", L commented dryly.

"So should you, idiot."

"I hardly think that this is the time to throw insults, Raito-kun. Tomorrow is a very important day for us, and I want Raito-kun to be in top shape."

"What are you working on, Ryuuzaki?"

Raito lifted his head to get a better view on L's laptop. L, on the other hand, yanked his laptop away from the teen, which, he would soon regret as Raito lost his balance, head falling on L's lap with an 'oomph'.

There was an awkward silence.

"Raito-kun should vacate my lap now."

"That's what I'm trying to do!"

Raito struggled to get away from L as best as he could, but the bed bounced back and he fell once again, his efforts being deemed useless.

"Does Raito-kun require my help?"

"I can do it by myself, thank you very much!"

But Raito slipped again, forcing him back to his embarrassing state and his irritation grew as he saw the detective with a sudden smirk on his face. Raito glared at L again, but realizing that the detective was not getting the hint, gave up on moving altogether.

"Why are you hiding your work from me, anyway?"

"It's nothing of importance, Raito-kun. I was just making sure that everything will go as smoothly as planned."

Raito looked at him in the eyes.

"Then, you're also thinking that it might fail?"

"My plan is always perfect. I just felt the need to assure that it is. There is a lot at stake here."

"Yeah", Raito said wistfully. "Tomorrow is the day I can finally prove my innocence, so every step is important."

"Raito-kun must know that, even if Higuchi is arrested, there will still be a need for him to be under by close watch, as he is yet to be cleared of suspicion."

"So you say, Ryuuzaki. But you couldn't deny it when solid evidence tells you otherwise. Why are you so intent in pinning me as Kira, anyway?"

"…I believe I had already given my reasons for that, and I will not repeat it for Raito-kun."

"Hmm…"

Raito snuggled closer on L's lap, and stayed like that for a while, breathing quietly.

"Are you going to miss me?"

L stared at the boy for a few minutes, at a loss for words.

"Why would Raito-kun say such a thing?"

"It's obvious isn't it?" Raito looked back at the tense-looking detective. "When I'm finally cleared as a suspect, I'll be free from this place. And when the Kira case is closed, you won't see me anymore."

"Raito-kun is so keen on getting out of my watch. I am starting to think that it is all part of his plan to fool us on not being Kira."

"You can't keep denying it for long, L. I'm innocent."

L gulped, and wondered it Raito was doing this on purpose. The look he gave had a seductive touch to it, and his voice…it was practically giving him goosebumps.

"Raito-kun should definitely get some sleep."

"I'm not sleepy, Ryuuzaki. I can't sleep, thinking of what will happen tomorrow just keeps me alert."

"Regardless, Raito-kun should at least try to sleep."

"Why are you intent on me getting to sleep, anyway? You should tell that to yourself!"

"…My body is different from Raito-kun."

"So you say, Ryuuzaki. What are you, inhuman?"

"That is beside the point. I can work normally even without sleeping, whereas Raito needs sleep in order to function well, and I need his brilliance tomorrow as we arrest Higuchi."

"I can work just as fine without sleeping."

"There is no need to lie, Raito-kun. We already know your body's capabilities…"

Raito's eyes shot up dangerously.

"Capabilities…? Are you still going on about that night?"

"…I did not say anything like that, Raito-kun."

"Yeah, but you were implying it! I'm not something delicate!"

"But that night told me otherwise, Raito-kun."

"Ha! See? You wouldn't let go of that won't you? Well, I'm ready now! I can take it on whenever you want!"

"Raito-kun must not be serious. Perhaps I had somehow led him to overwork…"

The pout Raito gave disarmed L completely. He was not expecting this.

"I'm stronger than you think, L."

L could not deny that. What he was more afraid of was himself, and his sexual urges. Truth be told, he had been restraining himself for the past couple of days, because he was afraid that he might get carried away. And thinking about that night…

"Fine", Raito huffed, and started getting off of L.

"Consider this opportunity wasted—waah!"

His efforts in getting up was once again unsuccessful, as L hastily pulled him back, and instantly plunged into his already open mouth. It took a while for Raito to feel L's tongue skillfully maneuvering in every corner of his mouth, because of the sudden action, but the moment it registered in him, he kissed back, joining in the competition, fighting for dominance as their tongues clashed.

The kiss lasted for a few minutes as they finally separated, Raito desperately gasping for air.

"Raito-kun should know that I will not go easy on him this time, seeing as he was the one who initiated this", L began, eyes filled with lust. "As such, I will not stop even if Raito-kun begs for it. He must take responsibility for his actions."

Raito blushed furiously into a deep red, and L smirked.

"Raito-kun must understand how deep of a trouble he has gotten himself into."

L undid the boy's pants with ease, and groped him immediately.

"Ah…!"

Raito gasped at the sudden contact, but L did not seem to hear, as he started stroking him.

"Ku…"

L kissed him again, this time more violently, swallowing the boy's cries as he fully undressed him. Raito panted heavier when he was finished, but did not have a chance to fully recover when L began to kiss his neck, sucking loudly, obscene sounds filling the room.

"Uhh…Ryuu….ah!"

Raito gasped and moaned loudly too, one sensation after another, that he was having a hard time keeping up with his breathing. The hand that was still between his legs suddenly squeezed him hard.

"Aaaahh…!"

Raito did not even know he could scream like that, his high-pitched voice sounded a little erotic as it echoed in the room. He blushed at hearing this. However, his attention came back to Ryuuzaki as the man trailed further down.

"Nnn…ah…"

Raito couldn't take it anymore. He could feel his body heat increasing by the second.

"Gu….aaaahhh!" He didn't expect L biting his nipple like that, much more the aggressive sucking that followed.

"S-s…sto…ah!"

L trailed further down to his stomach, Raito gasping and panting all the way. However, his eyes shot up again when he realized exactly where L was heading.

"W-wait!…I…ah! S-stop it Ryu..ah!"

L looked up from between the boy's legs, and smirked as he saw how the scared look Raito was giving. L gazed lustfully at the teen before resuming his job.

"Anh!…Waahh!…Ryuuzaki…stop…ah!…I'm…nnn…I'm starting to….ah!"

Surprisingly, L did as he was told, and stopped before anything happened. He watched the boy pant for air, skin noticeably red and sweaty.

"Hah…! Thank God you stopped, I was starting to think…"

"Raito-kun"

Raito blushed, not used to the husky tone L was using, and looked closely at the detective. The lust-filled bedroom eyes L was giving made Raito felt that something isn't right.

"What?" He said apprehensively.

"We are not done yet, Raito-kun."

With that, L immediately took off his clothes, revealing that part of his body most men would die for, standing proudly for all to see.

Raito merely gaped.

He didn't notice the smirk L had as he began straddling the boy.

Raito bit his lip.

"I hope that Raito-kun is ready for this", L teased, in the same husky voice that Raito found erotic, before he pushed into Raito entirely.

"Aaah!"

Tears began decorating Raito's eyes, as L pushed further and further away.

"Nnnhh!…uh…"

Raito was feeling one thousand sensations at once, and was nearly tempted to force L to stop, but his pride won't let him. Instead, he dug his nails deeper into Ryuuzaki, intending to scar the man who was hurting him.

"Raito"

L called in a very low tone, as he began to speed up his pace, and Raito blushed at the sudden loss of honorific in his name.

"Ahhh…..uh….ah!"

Raito must admit, that it was starting to feel good. He enjoyed every touch L was giving, and every push took him to a new place called ecstasy. Soon, he was begging L for more. It was then that he felt something happening to him.

"Ryuu…ah! ….something's…ah…I'm feeling…"

He wished with all his heart that L would stop, unfortunately, and instead moved faster and faster as he…

"L!"

A blinding light enveloped him, as he heard L call his name once more.

* * *

"Ugh, why do I even have to do this?" Ryuuk complained for the umpteenth time, as he watched the two men sleep soundly in their bed.

Without a doubt, Ryuuk, the happy-go-lucky shinigami, was scarred for life. He had to endure watching the whole thing before his very eyes, and while a voyeur might have enjoyed it, he was not one, and he certainly did not enjoy any moment of it whatsoever.

He saw the two men climax together, Raito arching his back as L held on to him. He did not even know Raito could arch his back like that, and truth be told, he'd rather not know that interesting discovery.

Cursing the other shinigami once more, he started doing what he came here for. Seriously, they were just being paranoid. Was it even necessary to do this?

Once finished, he hurried off and flew away, curses unheard in the darkness.


	6. Love and Commitment

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T (but Chapters 3 and 4 are rated M, which could be easily skipped without missing any of the plot)

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter: **The two geniuses finally did it on the night before the planned arrest on Higuchi, however, they were not alone as Ryuuk was watching the entire thing all along, through the Shinigami King's orders. This doesn't look too good...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Love and commitment; Love means sacrifice**

"Hey, congratulations on finally solving the case, Ryuuzaki!" Matsuda once again cheered, which by now is getting annoying.

"…I suppose so, Matsuda-san."

"Oh, hey, you don't seem too happy about it. What gives, L?"

"Matsuda-san must be imagining things, I am very satisfied with the case." L countered the goofy policeman, as he shuffled away from him. "And Matsuda-san must remember to call me Ryuuzaki next time, or he will have to face dire consequences."

Bang!

L closed the door on Matsuda's face. He did not even care to check whether the door hit the man's face or not. He just wanted peace.

He scanned the room first, and once he ascertained that no one was around, he sighed.

Truth be told, he was not happy with how the case went, and saying that he was disappointed was an understatement. He had been expecting greater things from this case, which took him the longest time to solve in his career so far. Cases like this should have been very promising, more challenging, things that attract him on solving the case in the first place, not like this. It was as if it was handed to him in a silver platter, and the only thing he needed to do was announce the culprit.

To think that he studied flying the helicopter just for this case. (He figured he was good at it too, since it took a very skillful driver to fly that helicopter without Raito wincing in pain, given his circumstances)

But after all that impressive flying, it was all for naught. The criminal did not even put up a fight, confessing everything that they didn't even need to put force in him. Talk about a let down case…

Thus concludes the Friday the 13th serial murder case.

What's up with the name anyway? He could only suspect Matsuda for giving the case such a crappy name like that. Yep, it was definitely him.

He needed time to think, reconstruct his life if possible. Because seriously, when a great detective begins chasing low quality cases like this, it only means that he has serious issues to deal with.

He sat in a crouching position in the nearest chair he saw, and began his needed meditation when he felt an object being thrown deliberately in his head, effectively taking him out of his 'meditative' state.

"Ow…" He rubbed his head, feeling pissed off. "I must warn Raito-kun not throw objects at me especially when I am in a foul mood."

He searched around for the boy, with a look that would scare most children, promising pain for the one person he was intending to show this face to. He knew he was just hiding here somewhere…

"Eh, Raito? I'm sure I found him at the bathroom on my way here"

'_Weird, foreign voice…definitely not Raito'_, L thought, and was starting to freak out upon realizing that there was someone (who was not Raito) in the room. What happened to the security? Heart beating a little faster now, he turned his eyes slowly to where he thought the voice was coming.

"Woaahhh!" He fell on the floor hard, as he continued to stare at the visitor he just had.

"Oh, sorry for being rude. I'm Ryuuk, a shinigami."

L stared once more.

"S-shinigami?"

Ryuuk nodded.

"B-but…to have a shinigami actually exist…it defies all logic and reason…" He muttered, causing Ryuuk to blink, and laugh a little.

"Ku, ku, then I suppose you have to prepare yourself for things that defy logic. I assure you, there will be a lot more coming to you", Ryuuk said.

"What do you mean by this, Shinigami-san?"

"Right, because I'm here to tell you this news."

L nodded, urging him to continue.

"Were you disappointed after solving your recent case?" Ryuuk asked suddenly, and L had to agree.

"Of course, needless to say, I am very disappointed at how easy it was."

"Well, that has to be because of me", Ryuuk admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, yeah…" Ryuuk remembered the detective's circumstances, and rubbed his head, looking stupid. "I forgot that you don't have the memories. Here"

He handed his death note, and L took it suspiciously.

"Aaaahh!"

Memories soon zoomed on his head like flashing pictures, the kind you ought to have when you encounter a life or death situation. He remembered Kira, the mass murderer who killed with heart attacks, Raito, him suspecting Raito, Misa, him arresting Misa…and then…

"Raito is Kira" L announced confidently.

"Of course he is" Ryuuk answered. "He got this death note from me and started killing people with it. You were close to discovering it, by the way. However, things changed."

L gave the shinigami a puzzled look, and Ryuuk took it as a hint to continue.

"You see, the shinigami king decided it upon himself to finish this once and for all."

Ryuuk almost laughed at what he said, remembering the conversation he had with the king. He could still see it all too clearly…

"_See this, Ryuuk! We've been exposed!" the King exclaimed, throwing the book to the shinigami in question. The book was titled 'Death Note 13: How to Read' and had a neat picture of L and Light in the picture._

"_That publication contains all the information about us shinigami. Why, there are things written here that are kept secret from even among the higher ranked shinigami!"_

_Ryuuk browsed the book. Sure enough, he found his very own profile, complete with an awesome picture. There were also pictures of his fellow shinigami, as well as a description of their features and capabilities._

"_If this goes on, I will not be surprised if those humans start a hunt on us shinigami. I don't want this to happen, and so I will demand that you act at once."_

"_But…"_

"_If you don't, then I will kill all the apple farmers on earth, so that you won't even have a glimpse of your precious fruit."_

"_That's too much!"_

"_So you agree to my terms then?"_

"_I suppose so. What it your plan?"_

Yeah, to think that his love for apples would actually be his downfall.

"So, with his power, you erased all of the world's memories of Kira?" L asked again, a look of contempt clearly written on his face.

"Uhuh. If you mention Kira to anyone, they'll just laugh at you. This includes Yagami Raito."

"That is unjust"

Ryuuk laughed in his weird voice.

"If you should know, without the King's intervention, Raito would have killed you, and will continue to kill countless people, innocents included. That includes one of your successors, Mello. Deaths will increase tenfold until I finally kill him. But with the King's plan, these lives will be preserved, as well as our secrets."

L bit his thumb, deep in thought.

"I see. So erasing everyone's memories of Kira's existence will be beneficial for both sides." He crouched down again. "But I still think Raito is getting the best deal out of this, when he must be punished."

"That will be taken cared of too. You see, erasing the whole humankind's memories required a lot of power. We used Raito just for that,"

L's eyes widened even further.

"What did you do to him?"

'We planted something on him. And…er…considering you…er…" Ryuuk was getting uncomfortable. "Did the deed"

L raised an eyebrow.

"He will now have an ability men were not supposed to have."

"Shinigami-san must make his words clear." L warned, and Ryuuk looked a little terrified at the look L was giving him.

"He is pregnant, with your child I think, seeing as you were the…"

"I understand" L interrupted, blushing once he got the point.

"Which means that from here on, the fate of everyone is in your hands."

"…Please explain a little further, Shinigami-san."

"The king is giving you a choice, seeing that you will be the one most burdened by all of this. If you decide to keep the child, then all is well, the magic will be completed once your child is born and the world will forget Kira permanently. "However, if you decide to get rid of it, everything will revert back to how it was before, and you can expose Raito being Kira."

L was biting his thumb a little harder, trying to concentrate. It bled a second after. He did this most of the time when he is trying to understand very important information.

"I know that you were the one who was most involved with this case, and the Shinigami King acknowledged this, so while he did not give Raito a say into all of this, he did leave the final decision to you. As of this moment, the future of the Human world is in your hands. If you decide to keep the child, then the spell that was casted on humankind will be put to effect permanently upon its birth. However, if you try to get rid of it, then the world will revert to the way it was before, and you can freely expose Raito as Kira."

"I…see…"

L nodded in understanding. So it is up to him now. He was starting to weigh down the two decisions when Ryuuk added something.

"Just so you know, if you decide the latter, I will kill you."

L gnawed on his thumb even further.

"That would make the whole idea of me having a choice inconsistent, Shinigami-san."

"Ah…but it was the King who gave you the decision. As for me, I value those apples so much and would hate it if it disappears because of your decision…But hey, maybe after your death, one of your successors might expose Raito for being Kira, so you're not at a total loss."

L stared unbelievably at the shinigami. That death god really need to sort out his priorities.

"Well, I guess that's about it. I'm leaving you now, but I'll know your decision sooner or later."

And with that, the shinigami disappeared on one of the walls, leaving L in deep thought.

L pondered this for a while. He loved his job. He wanted to fight for justice. He had promised to himself that he will capture Kira even if it meant his death. But, to expose Raito as Kira, can he really just throw the boy to his death?

Also, it's not like Raito got out unpunished. He had to keep in mind that bearing a child, while normal for a woman, can be a humiliating and painful experience for a man. Can that be punishment enough?

Another thing he had to consider were the number of lives to be saved. If he chose to get the glory and let Kira be known again, the only thing he can save was his pride. On the other hand, if things keep on like this, lives will be saved from useless deaths, however, he will not be known to be the one who solved this monumental case, and had to deal with his reputation tarnished by a let-down case.

Thinking about it, no matter what, he will still be L, the greatest detective in the world. As a person, the one chosen to decide the fate of the earth, he had to choose what would be the most beneficial to everyone, not just himself.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to choosing between the Kira case over Raito, his pride or his love. The decision should be easy enough.

Having a child was not so bad, now that he thought about it. He might be a quirky, weird detective, but as a man, he had been also longing to have a child of his own, someone he could relate to, someone similar to him, sharing some of his characteristics. He wanted someone coming from him to carry out his mission in life, not just some heirs chosen for him out of talent. With his lifestyle as a detective this might be the only chance he will get having a child of his own. This might be his only shot on being a father.

He smiled to himself.

"I guess I have to let go"

Just then, the door opened, revealing the said boy, and L sat up straight on instinct.

"Ryuuzaki, I…" he started, and upon closer look L could see tear strains marking his beautiful eyes.

"What is wrong, Raito-kun?" he said gently.

"L, I think… something's wrong with my body", he said shyly, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Without a second thought, L embraced the boy tightly, and began patting him on the back. The boy relaxed after a few minutes.

"I'm scared, L", Raito admitted.

"Shh…It's okay, Raito-kun." L said soothingly. "I'll take care of you."

At that moment, he knew that he had made the right decision. This was the greatest sacrifice he had ever done, and he knew that he would not regret it.


	7. Dreaded Talks

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** Ryuuk explains that, in order to save the world from further damage by Kira, the Shinigami King ordered Ryuuk to erase everyone's memories of Kira. However, in order to do this, they had to make Raito pregnant, and now suddenly, the world, especially Raito's future is in his hands. L has about nine months to make a decision, and it doesn't help that his choice required him to inform the boy's overprotective family.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Dreaded Talks You'd Rather Not Be a Part Of**

"Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant"

Raito braced himself, looking down on the floor as he announced the dreaded news. As per L's request, they conducted this private meeting, its members being Raito's family and L's family. As such, Souichiro, Sachiko and Sayu sat on one side of the room, and Watari sat alone on the other. The 'couple' was sitting in the middle of the room, with Raito looking completely embarrassed.

It took a full minute for both partners to comprehend what the teen had just said.

"Whaaat?" They all screamed in unison, save for L and Raito. Soon, different (and exaggerated) emotions filled the room.

Raito sighed, for good measure.

It was beyond his expectations that his first time with a man (or with anyone, for that matter) would end up like this. For the record, this should not even be possible, with him being a man. Him being pregnant just defies the very basics of human nature, and for that he was confused. Just what is wrong with him?

L was acting so suspicious too, with him accepting his pregnancy, just like that. He didn't question him unlike before, wherein he might as well have made a book about him with all the information he had gathered from the very detailed questioning. Instead, he just embraced him, and told him it was just normal. Well, normal on his standards, which would be considered abnormal.

Perhaps, it was L who was abnormal, not him. And with the intercourse, the said abnormality must have transferred to him. That might explain everything. Regardless, it still won't change the fact that he was pregnant, and it was L's fault.

"Raito…you were just kidding weren't you? This isn't true, right?" Souichiro nervously asked.

"Raito, honey, are you alright? Don't worry, Mommy's here…", Sachiko looked very concerned at his son.

Sayu was just too dumbstruck to even say anything.

"I'm afraid what Raito-kun said was true, Yagami-san, and I am completely to blame." L said, looking very responsible, something rare in him.

"Ryuuzaki, what did you…" Souchiro rose to his seat, in an attempt to beat the pulp out of L. Watari stopped him just in time.

"Now, now, Yagami-san. I think violence is not suitable at this moment. Please allow Ryuuzaki to explain"

"He better have a lot of good explaining to do…" Souichiro muttered, as he returned to his seat, but not before he shot a deadly glare at Ryuuzaki, who gulped.

Raito just sat silent the entire time, looking down on the floor, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

"As I have said, I am responsible for Raito-kun's…predicament."

Sachiko gasped, now fully understanding what he meant.

"H-how can it be? Our son's a boy and…" Sachiko defended. "Oh my God, Raito!...What did you do to my son?"

Sachiko was now looking at L, eyes piercing like daggers, demanding answers. L pondered this for a while before answering.

"I believe I…"

"Ryuuzaki", Watari interrupted, reminding him that there is still a minor in this room. L shot him an annoyed look. It's not as if he's not aware or anything.

"As I was saying, I did something that has caused the pregnancy of Raito-kun", he ignored the dramatic gasp of Sachiko and the awkward grunt of Souichiro and continued. "And I am going to take full responsibility."

It did not take long for the civil conversation to break into a heated argument.

"Y-you bastard! How dare you molest my son!" Souichiro rose up again, sending a fiery punch to the detective, which was caught by a quicker Watari, who had decided it best to become a referee again.

"So that's why you felt the need for handcuffs, eh? You were eyeing my son all along! And all the while I thought you were really being suspicious about him…"

The bickering continued for a while, L being as unemotional as ever, and Raito constantly staring at the floor, as if it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Sayu looked pretty much the same as his brother, silent and not leaving her place.

"Dear, stop it. You're embarrassing Raito." Sachiko attempted to stop his husband, for Raito's sake. She couldn't take how Raito looked thoroughly flushed at all of this, and as a mother it was her duty to look out for her son.

"I believe that charging me with rape will not suffice, Yagami-san, seeing that Raito-kun is legally an adult, and that he was the one who initiated it. The video feed will prove it." L started to explain, trying to defend his case.

"Stop it, L. You're making things worse than it already is", Watari suddenly reprimanded, a rare irritated look directed at his ward. What he said was true, anyway. Souichiro was already red from anger, and Watari could only handle so much.

That was when Raito zoned out from the scene, preferring to wander in his mind than be in this situation.

He did not like this at all. In fact, everything was just so wrong. He was starting to feel that that night with L was the biggest mistake he ever had in his life.

After that night, everything has turned from bad to worse. He woke up in the morning after Higuchi's arrest, vomiting, and feeling nauseous. At first, he just dismissed it as fatigue from overwork and over anxiety, because too much had happened in the last couple of days.

But then, he had never felt that way before. He was supposed to be tough, like his father. This was the first time he had thrown up with just this…Heck, as a student, he'd been through worse than this, like the time he'd overloaded his schedule, but he had never experienced this sudden sickness. Although, at that time, he just thought that it was just sickness caused by this very stressful case.

When he consulted L, things just came crashing down. He did not expect the sudden embrace from the man, and the gently uttered words of comfort. If he'd known what he was about to tell him at that time, he would have seized the moment and kicked the detective in the groin, hard. That would be sweet revenge, indeed.

Because really, he had not been expecting that answer, the mere possibility of it never entered his mind. And yet, the detective just went his way and said, "You're pregnant"

Just like that, with no other words to sugar coat it by, no attempts to break the news gently. It was just like L to say it as it is, to be that blunt.

"N-no way", he remembered saying, as he backed away form the detective. "You're joking, right? I mean, I'm a man…this doesn't make any sense…"

He must have made a million arguments against that statement L made, but when he saw it with his own eyes, he knew he couldn't deny the fact that he was.

He stared unnervingly at the pregnancy test result he was holding. How he could even stand holding that thing was beyond him, as it mocked him silently, taunting everything he believed in. It must have been L's fault to make this happen. He was really something, making impossible things happen as if it were normal.

Raito was suddenly frightened at his wits. The fact that he was pregnant suddenly opened doors full of uncertainty, that Raito could not even entirely grasp the situation.

He still had a lot of things to do; he wants to finish college first. He wanted to have a notable career in the police force too. He wanted to try a lot of things. But all of these, he knew, could not happen now. He was pregnant. That alone was enough to crush majority of his dreams. He had to grow up now. That fact unexpectedly made him worse than before, and he had never felt so depressed like this in his entire life.

L acted as if everything was just normal, as what Raito expected him to be. It was his fault after all, his doing. Secretly, Raito wondered if this was another test L made to determine if he was the culprit, but if it was, then it has definitely gone too far. It was unnecessary to do that now, seeing that they had already closed the case….right?

It was just like L to do that, to continuously test him even if it was all pointless. He was sick of all those tests. It made him feel that he could not be trusted. But in the depths of his heart, he wished, he hoped that all of this was just a test, that everything was not true, that it was only L testing him again. If that was the case, all he had to do was beat the crap out of the man, and everything will be all right.

But there was a part of him that kept telling him that all of this was real.

He could not escape, even if he wanted to.

His eyes shot up as a sudden jolt from his body woke him up to his senses, as he slowly took on his surroundings.

It seems that everyone has calmed down, thanks to Watari. That man works wonders sometimes. In the span of time where Raito zoned out, he had managed to establish order in the family meeting.

He had successfully made L shut up before causing any more chaos, calmed Souichiro down to a reasonable level, relieved Sachiko of her heightened worries, and convinced young Sayu that her family was still sane.

The prospect of having a grandchild must have been the key to relieving all that tension, as they all seemed fond of children in general. They were even talking about it now, so to speak, and even Souichiro was smiling.

That was, until L found it in him to talk again.

"Which is why I will take full responsibility on this matter, and ensure that our future child will be healthy and happy", he started. "I wish to be with Raito in every step of the way."

"That's sweet", Sachiko said, admiring how gallant L had become.

"Then what are you planning to do?" Souichiro demanded, but a little calmer now.

"I will make sure that our child will only have the best, and I wish to marry Raito-kun", he said boldly, and everyone seemed to have gaped from him to Raito.

'_Woah'_, Raito thought, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. Suddenly, all attention was on him, and the last thing Raito wanted was to be the center of attention, especially now. With every nerve in his body tense, all he was wishing for was to get out of this place.

"_Good news, Raito! You're going to have a sister!"_

Raito panicked. He had not been expecting to remember that memory from his childhood, especially now. But it jolted in his brain anyway, like it had the nerve to taunt him at this very moment. Raito gulped, thinking of anything just to get rid of that childhood memory spinning on his head right now, but it was too late, and L started talking.

He was apparently proposing to him.

"Raito-kun, I love you", he said daringly. "Will you marry me?"

'_Hold on, this isn't right'_, Raito thought as several other thoughts started spinning on his mind, too much to count, too many to handle, that all he wanted now was to get out.

_"Call an ambulance quick! I'm going to…"_

"Uwaahh!"

Raito didn't even care if everyone got shocked hearing that, as he ran out of the room, having enough of it when he remembered that memory again. He didn't care anymore. He just wanted out. His desire increased as he sped out of that place, his feet going faster that it had ever did, running aimlessly outside. He didn't care where, he just want to get as far as possible from that man, from that place, from that memory.

"Raito-kun!"

L tried to catch him, but it was too late, seeing that the sudden outburst stunned him for a few seconds.

In the middle of all that silence, Sayu spoke, for the first time.

"That was the worst proposal ever"

And everyone couldn't help but agree with her.


	8. Father's Intervention

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter: **L decided to announce the news to Watari and Raito's family, and although after some time, they settled down and accepted it, when asked for his hand in marriage, Raito just freaked out and ran away. Now everyone is worried...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**Nine Months Due**

**Chapter Seven**

**Father's Intervention**

"_Good news, Raito! You're going to have a sister!"_

_Young Raito smiled, eyes wide open as he heard the news from his father._

"_Really, Otou-san?" He asked curiously. "When?"_

"_Oh, you have to wait until Okaa-san's stomach gets bigger, but it will be soon", Souichiro explained to his loving son, smiling widely as he messed up the boy's hair. "You're going to be a brother really soon."_

_Raito's smile grew even wider, grinning. _

"_Yeah!" He said as he went to where his mother was. "Mommy, can I touch my little sister?" He asked innocently, and Sachiko smiled._

"_Sure, honey."_

* * *

L got to his feet the moment he got a hold of himself. Sure, a part of him knew that this was going to happen, there was a seventy percent chance of that, and he conditioned himself for that event. But when it actually did happen, he got stunned completely, Raito effectively shot him down, that he could even hear his heart break. This was his first rejection, after all.

Nevertheless, he had to keep this situation under his control, because even though he expected a high possibility of Raito rejecting him, he was not fully prepared for the chance that the said teen would run away like that. As such, he did not prepare the necessary measures.

He scrambled away from his seat, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Souichiro inquired, eyeing L suspiciously.

"I am going to look for Raito-kun, Yagami-san."

"Well, don't", he said sternly. "The last person he'd ever want to see right now is you, and I think that you'll just make the situation worse if you follow him."

"I'll go after him", Watari offered, and Souichiro wordlessly nodded his approval, understanding each other through a fatherly bond.

Then, Souichiro faced L again.

"You come with me", he said, commandingly. "We will talk."

L visibly gulped, but followed nonetheless, anxiously thinking what lay ahead for him.

* * *

Raito panted heavily, holding hard on his knees to keep himself standing. Running was definitely a bad idea, as he realized now. It was harder to catch his breath because of his state, and his knees were a little shaky. Damn that detective for turning him into this! He had never been exhausted like this before. He longed for the days where he'd play tennis for hours and not break a sweat. He used to be so fit.

And now, thanks to that quirky detective claiming himself to be L, he knew that his life was officially ruined. To think that he'd worked so hard to get his reputation. If only he could turn back time.

He walked a bit more, determined to lengthen the distance between himself and the detective a little further, until he concluded that he was lost. Either that or he was just unfamiliar with the place. After wandering for another minute, he realized that all of this was fruitless, and he gave up altogether, sitting in the corner of the street. At least they won't find him there.

It was then that he realized the state of disorder he was in, as well as his whole body. His clothes were crumpled and messed up, swear covered him all over, skin sticky from his own bodily fluids, hair sticking out in all directions. He figured that if things go on like this, he'd end up homeless and unnoticed, and he'd live his entire life begging until life finally gave up on him. The very thought made him want to cry. Cursing himself for being such a loser, he searched his pockets for his handkerchief, only to find that he lost it during his escape.

"Hey there, sexy!"

Raito visibly twitched, as he saw the source of that illicit comment thrown directly at him. It was a man horribly dressed as a woman, a low-class cross dresser, muscles showing out in unwanted places. Raito looked more horrified as the said man winked at him.

"How 'bout we spend the night together in this pretty place I know?"

At that moment, Raito knew he was screwed, big time. Taking in his surroundings one more time, he finally realized where he was—and he didn't like it. This was the infamous red light district near his place, but since it was daytime he didn't recognize it earlier. He started to feel scared now, knowing that being here only meant trouble for him, and when he turned to move his legs in an attempt to run for his life, he found that he couldn't, knees too strained after running too hard. His body started trembling badly, his own body failing him altogether.

'_Help me'_, he thought silently, as if someone might hear his thoughts.

"Come on, kid. There's no need to be scared." The man approached him slowly but steadily, and Raito felt tears streaming his face.

"Heh, you're cute. I'm definitely…"

The sentence was left unfinished as the man just fell on the ground with a loud 'thud', groaning before finally slipping into unconsciousness. Raito just gaped as the events happened before him, too shocked to even move, heart pounding, breath heaving violently against his back.

Suddenly, a hand reached out to him, inviting him to take it. Raito looked up, and recognized Watari.

"It's all right now, Yagami-kun. Let's go back."

Raito looked at the hand, but hesitated.

"I-I don't want to go"

Watari smiled patiently, understanding how Raito felt.

"Then why don't we go someplace else?"

Raito considered this for a moment. On second thought, he didn't want to stay in this shady place any longer.

"Okay", he said weakly as he slowly took the elder man's hand. Watari gripped it firmly and pulled him up, offering his handkerchief to the teen.

"Thanks", he mumbled quietly as he followed Watari to the car.

* * *

"_Arrgh…" Sachiko groaned, obviously in serious pain. Her water just broke, and was currently experiencing hell from her contractions._

"_Mommy! Mommy, are you alright?" Three year old Raito frantically asked, panicking at the sight of his mother._

_It was just their luck that on the day Sayu decided to arrive at the living world, no one else was there to rush his mother to the hospital. No one else, except Raito._

"_Raito…" Sachiko spoke through the pain. "Call the ambulance quick! I'm going to…"_

_Realizing the urgency of the situation even as a young boy, he hurried to the phone and dialed the number he had long memorized, which his father taught him to call during emergencies. Raito told the address of his house quickly, scared at what was happening to his mother. _

"_Please hurry up, my mother is in pain…" _

_He hung up quickly and rushed to his mother._

"_Aaaahhh!"_

_Raito froze on the spot._

* * *

Bang!

L continued to watch Yagami Souichiro in silence, one finger in his mouth. The police chief took him to the shooting range where police officers practice, and started shooting the target immediately. L did not dare talk, seeing how dangerous the man looked, and just let the older Yagami initiate the conversation. After another shot, Souichiro stopped for a while and reloaded his gun.

"When Raito was about three years old, Sayu was born", he started. "I was not at home when it happened, I was still a young officer then, and I was in the middle of capturing our suspect. Raito was alone with his mother then, and he was the one who called the ambulance. He witnessed everything."

Bang! Souichiro shot again, barely missing the center by a few centimeters.

"When I arrived at the hospital, Raito was in shock, and when he saw me he started crying, asking if his mother was alright."

The chief aimed again, this time hitting the target perfectly.

"Of course, when he saw his little sister, he smiled again, completely forgetting that incident." Souichiro looked at L for the first time. "But I had a feeling that he was traumatized by that. And I'm afraid that those memories might resurface one day, especially now."

Bang!

L stared at the still smoking gun, wondering when the chief will stop. He'd been doing this for an hour now.

"If you're really serious about my son, you have to know even these seemingly unimportant things about him. You have to be very patient and dedicated to him, and understand him completely."

Souichiro lectured, emotions spilling for the first time.

"When I first saw you, I pictured you as a man who never took anything seriously. You've only ever known Raito as a suspect to your case. Do you even know a thing about him that does not involve anything about the case?"

The teen's father demanded, looking at him with judging eyes, as though he can see through the detective. L hated it, but he knew he had a point. The only things he knew about Raito were the things a detective would know about their suspects: general appearance, schedule, personality, habits, all summarized in a neat profile, and although in that respect L knew Raito that well to the point of knowing his breathing pattern, he knew, at the end of the day, that these things were only ever important in solving a case. It was the kind of thing you have to know in order to predict a person, not to understand him.

It might be the only things you need to know if you're analyzing a robot, or a computer, but for a person, it was different. You have to know more, you have to understand. And L, as great as a detective that he was, had to admit that on that aspect, he knew nothing about Raito. But…

"I understand what you are trying you are trying to say, Yagami-san. I do not know anything about Raito in that respect." He held the gun, which was already lying on the table, after the chief had enough shooting, and inspected it. He aimed, and fired.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"But I love your son enough to try and understand him. I will learn all about him if you give me time, and I will try hard to make him love me too", L boldly said. "If it is for Raito-kun, I will do anything."

The chief looked at L, and the bullet marks he had fired. Looking closely at the marks, you could tell that L aimed at the places where Souichiro's bullets hit, each of his shots hitting that same spot perfectly.

"I will not give up that easily, Yagami-san."

* * *

"Here"

Raito looked up to Watari to find a towel offered to him.

As promised, Watari did not take him to the headquarters where L was, but instead took him to a nearby park. Where Raito began washing his face in the nearest fountain.

"Uh, thanks, Watari-san", Raito mumbled as he started cleaning himself of all the dust and grime he had accumulated, drying himself with the towel.

"You should change your clothes too", Watari said, as he presented the boy with a freshly ironed one, Watari was really reliable, and prepared.

'You really shouldn't have", Raito said, a little embarrassed at the man's concern. "I'm already fine."

"On the contrary, Yagami-kun. You really should take care of your health, I am worried about you." Watari offered the clothes again.

Raito hesitantly took the clothes.

"Thank you", he said timidly as he changed into them.

Raito spent the rest of the hour watching kids play in the distance, face blank, but Watari knew otherwise. He had spent eighteen years with one pokerfaced detective that it was easy for him to know emotions, however hidden they were, and upon seeing the silent boy, he knew right away that Raito was under a pool of mixed emotions.

"Ah, it's so fun to watch children once in a while. They remind me of my youth", Watari suddenly spoke, which caught Raito off guard. He never spoke to Raito before, if it could be helped, so he didn't expect him to say something personal like that.

"You like kids, Watari-san?" Raito asked, still shaken at how the man opened up to him.

"Terribly so. I had founded many orphanages because of that."

"You must be a really great father", Raito commented.

Watari let out a sigh.

"Unfortunately, I could not have a child of my own. I had been too caught up in my dreams that I forgot what was important. I thoroughly regret that even now."

Raito looked at him, with sympathetic eyes, showing emotion for the first time.

"I'm sorry."

Watari smiled at him.

"I met Ryuuzaki when he was seven years old. I taught him everything I know, and he has by far surpassed me tenfold. I consider him as my son, or the closest thing to a son I would ever have."

Watari looked at the boy, who was listening intently to every word he was saying.

"I assisted him in his needs, took care of his wants, I connect him to people, and people find him through me. He listens only to my advice", Watari explained, and Raito nodded. "But the environment I could provide was not enough for his growth as a person, that his intellectual skills are directly adverse to his social skills."

He rested his hand on the boy's shoulders.

"You were the one who provided him a place where he could catch up with his deficiencies, and I have a feeling that he will be at his best with you. I trust you, and I know that L is better off with you."

Raito looked away, feeling guilty.

"B-but…it was all a mistake…"

"There are no mistakes in this world, Yagami-kun, only opportunities to learn. Humans have a way of recovering from anything they face, and learning from their mistakes. You are an exceptional boy. I know that you can make it more than anyone else."

"Watari-san…"

Raito hesitated, a little moved from what the gentleman said. He watched the children play again, with longing eyes as he heard them laugh.

"If given a choice, I would have wanted another brother, or sister. But I knew that if my wish would come true, my mother would suffer again." Raito mused quietly. "Childbirth is definitely painful."

Watari smiled, hearing those innocently spoken words, understanding the teen's worries.

"It might be so", he said, looking at the boy as he did. "But the reward is many times worth it."

Raito's eyes widened.

"You would be so happy that you will completely forget about all the pain, and at the end of the day, the happiness on seeing the miracle of life would be all that matters", he continued. "Your mother felt the same too, when you were born, and seeing that you grew like this might have made her feel like the luckiest person in the world."

Raito did not notice the tear falling freely on his cheek, and Watari's smile widened.

"Thank you, Watari-san", he smiled weakly.

* * *

L was at a loss for words when he saw Raito return with Watari. That is, for a few seconds until he confirmed that it was really him. The fear of Raito not returning had been enough of a nightmare for him. The moment he was within reach of the boy, he hugged him immediately.

"Raito-kun, I'm so sorry for scaring you like that. I've been a complete and utter fool, but I will make it up to you now, I won't ever leave you even if you don't want to. I'm going to learn everything about you, and understand you. You'll always have me by your side…"

L blurted all these things in a ridiculously fast pace that Raito could not catch up with him, but he got the gist of it anyway. L had even dropped his speech pattern, enough evidence to show how shaken-up he had become without Raito.

"I love Raito-kun enough to marry him, but if he does not wish to, I will understand", L said, relatively calmer now, but still not letting go of Raito. "But could Raito-kun at least allow me to stay with him until he makes his decision? Or at least until our child is born? I will not allow him to be alone even for a second for that duration, I refuse to let him experience that without me."

"L, I…" Raito thought of what he would say. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, plenty of explanations he wanted L to hear.

"Would Raito-kun allow me to stay with him forever?"

The tight embrace the boy gave to him had been enough to answer all the questions L had in his heart.


	9. Arranged Marriage

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** Watari manages to find and convince the boy to come back. Meanwhile, L shows Souchiro that he is very serious about marrying Raito.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

**Arranged Marriage**

Raito was left dazed in slight confusion as he realized just what kind of situation he was in. He was there, standing in a very deserted airport in the middle of the night with only a tenth of his luggage at hand. He had very little time to pack, if at all, and all he did was just ram his bags with any belongings he could find in a very small time frame, and given the state of mind he was in at that time, he knew that he had done a very poor job at it.

Of course, he didn't expect to elope. Much more, he didn't expect to elope with L, of all people, he had been his sworn enemy for god's sake! The thought had never come to his mind, ever, and with all the other incidents that happened, this clearly was a situation he had never predicted to even be possible. He had never thought that he would one day escape his perfect family to what he imagined to be an unpredictable life, bringing almost nothing with him, and leaving with the person he had least thought to be with. It just never occurred to him that these things could happen.

"Hurry up, Raito-kun", L said blandly, taking him out of his own thoughts. The super sleuth was, as always, oblivious to anyone's feelings. That one being exactly one of the few reasons why it isn't meant to be.

"We will be leaving shortly.", he added, as he took Raito's luggage with ease.

"I can carry my own bag!" Raito protested, running a little to catch up to the unbelievingly fast detective. The said detective stopped and looked at Raito in the face.

"Even if Raito can carry his belongings, I still want to carry it either way. Raito-kun can proceed walking to our jet", L said and continued speed walking.

"Hey," Raito said in an attempt to catch up to L. "Slow down a little. What's the hurry anyway? It's the middle of the night."

"Raito should please be reminded of the very essence of eloping. The time and manner of doing it is necessary to call it as such." L called back without stopping.

"Well", Raito said, huffing as he continued catching up to L. "I don't want to elope anymore."

That effectively made L come to a complete stop, and slowly, he turned his head and went back to Raito.

"I'm sorry, Raito-kun", he said as he offered his free hand to Raito. "We can walk at your own pace if you like."

Raito eyed the hand suspiciously before taking it, and as promised, they walked considerably slower than before. Raito relaxed a little and after a while got used to holding the elusive man's hand, which was a bit clammy a while ago, and did not let go of it as he took in his surroundings.

"Where is everyone, L? Don't these airports usually work 24 hours?" Raito asked leisurely.

"I commanded a complete shutdown of this airport earlier, Raito-kun, so we can take our flight in private", L said offhandedly, without bothering to look at the boy.

"I never imagined you'd be this powerful, L" Raito commented. "Or rather, how much power you could abuse."

"The management here are more than welcome to take my orders. It gives them the assurance that their facilities are safe and world class, or else L wouldn't even consider using them." L defended as they reached the departure area.

"Our jet is just outside this building. This will probably be the last time you'll be in Japan for a while." L said as he looked at the boy, who had just realized what it actually means. The boy fidgeted for a while, and L became more concerned by the second. "Is there anything Raito-kun would want to do before we go?"

"I…"Raito hesitated for a while, but made up his mind. "I want to call Sayu"

"That is out of the question, Raito-kun", L answered automatically. Raito looked crestfallen.

"Why not?", he asked exasperatedly.

"For several reasons, Raito-kun. Given the situation with your father, I do not think that it would be a good idea." L said dejectedly.

"What, you're scared of my father? I thought you're more powerful than him, and it's Sayu I want to talk to, not him." Raito said unbelievingly. "I never even got to say goodbye to my mother."

"But Raito-kun, I…" he was not able to finish his last sentence (which promptly admits his fear of the said man), when he saw Raito's sad face, which looked very hurt, and L seriously wanted to hug the boy. "Fine then, Raito-kun, but please limit it to five minutes."

Raito smiled weakly, as he took the phone on his pocket and speed-dialed to his sister. Throughout this conversation, L was very attentive for signs of discovery on the mad (L considered the police-chief to be, considering his exaggerated reactions) father's part, and L was about to laugh at himself for feeling paranoid at this point, until it was the time when Raito finally said goodbye to his little sister, and L started noticing that something is going wrong with the conversation.

"No, don't give it to him…." He heard Raito say urgently to his sister, and then, suddenly Raito was talking seriously, which would only mean that the boy was already talking to his father. "Dad…"

A cold sweat ran through L's back, as he suddenly had a desire to snatch the phone from the teen, that was, until a distinct shout coming from the phone's receiver echoed all throughout the empty airport.

"DON'T GO ANYWHERE AND WAIT FOR ME THERE!"

L could only guess what happened to the boy's poor ears after that, as the words kept ringing in his own ears. Raito looked at him desperately for what to do next.

"We're leaving now, Raito-kun", L said urgently.

"But..."

"Raito-kun should trust me when I say that he would not wish for his father to find him here, otherwise, his ears were probably damaged from what had just happened to him." L said as he quickly pulled the boy's hand, and led him to the jet.

"Ryuuzaki!..." Raito said urgently, struggling to get his hand back. "You're hurting me…"

L let go at once, but did not seem to want to just stop.

"We must leave at once, Raito-kun, we could not risk to have your father catching up to us now. We must…"

"But Ryuuzaki…" Raito complained, once more as he massaged his shoulders. "Where are we heading?"

"I had already told Raito-kun earlier. We will take my private jet to my private headquarters in England. And we should hurry up or else our plans will be thwarted by his father."

"But Ryuuzaki…", Raito continued. "I can't see any jet or planes anywhere." He pointed out.

"Raito-kun knows very well that this is not the time for jokes such as that. My jet has already been prepared hours ago. It…" L stopped as he realized that the boy was telling the truth. The airport was completely empty. "But I had already told Watari three hours beforehand…"

"What are we going to do now?" Raito panicked.

"I don't know, Raito-kun" L also panicked, if not openly to Raito-kun. "Can Raito-kun run?"

"You know I can't" Raito said irritated. "I'm already tired from walking."

"Then we are doomed"

"Stop talking like that. It's like it's the end of the world or something."

"I apologize to Raito-kun for causing him such stress. However, I think waiting for your father and facing brash consequences is the only thing we can do at this point."

"Thank you for telling me that so bluntly." Raito said as he caught back his breath.

"I will be the one to face all consequences. Raito-kun should not worry about anything." L assured, as he held the boy's shoulder and assisted him back to the airport.

Five minutes later, the whole airport was surrounded by police cars, and one angry father came rushing in.

"You…" He came rushing to L in a violent manner, which in turn the detective reflexively dodged. "How dare you kidnap my son!" He said angrily, and L could swear that the tired police chief was smoking in the ears. In the background, L finally saw the man who had allegedly betrayed him.

"I thought you'd support me all the way", L accused his former assistant.

"Forgive me L, but I feel that it would not be a good idea to sever terms with Yagami-kun's family in such a way. I think that the two of you need to finish talking it through so that neither parties would be treated unjustly."

"It would have been fine either way", L retorted.

"You bastard!" Souichiro continued rampaging. "To think I'd let you get so close to my son like that, I…"

"Dad!" Raito pleadingly said as he stopped his father from mangling L. "Please stop this, L did not force me to do this, please."

"How could you do this to us?" Souichiro demanded, turning his attention to his son. "I even had to wiretap your conversation with Sayu in order to track you down. Why are you running away from us without saying goodbye?"

"Dad…I…" Raito tried to explain, but he was already on the verge of tears.

"Your mother and I are already doing everything to fix things up, yet you go to your own accord and do this…"

"Dad, I'm sorry!" Raito cried, as tears fell involuntarily in his eyes and he fell down, his whole body trembling. "I didn't know what to do…I just…"

L quickly went down and comforted the boy, not bearing to see such a sight.

"This is all my fault, Yagami-san. I did not mean to disrespect your wishes by doing this. Please forgive me."

"How can I…"

"Yagami-san, please be more considerate, and try to calm down. We need to decide what's best for these two"

"I won't let that bastard near my son", the angry father declared defiantly.

"You need to consider it carefully, Yagami-san." Watari continued calmly. "Whether you like it or not, L is the father of your son's child, and more than anything else, Yagami-kun needs support from everyone right now, including you."

Souichiro was taken aback, and realized for the first time just how miserable his son looked, crying non-stop on the cold floor.

"Raito…" Souichiro softly said, full of concern to his crying son. Slowly, he reached out to Raito and put a hand on his head. "I'm sorry…"

Raito whimpered, but looked at the gentle face of his father nonetheless.

"Everything will be alright. We'll go home and talk this over. It will be fine, please stop crying."

Raito sobbed some more, and L held him more tightly this time. Finally, he stopped crying and rubbed his eyes as he took his father's hand.

* * *

"Then, what are you planning to do about this?"

So there he was again, facing such a demanding question, in front of the people that mattered, resuming the family conference that was interrupted hours ago.

"I intend to marry your son." L answered boldly.

Souichiro backed away slightly upon hearing it, but no one else but L noticed it. It seemed funny to think that even after all this time, Raito's father still considers hearing such things unacceptable. He raised his glasses as he refocused himself, face more serious now, as is he means business this time.

"Ryuuzaki, I understand why you want such a thing to happen." He looked at Raito, who turned away, before continuing. "The truth is, even though I trust you completely with your convictions as a detective, seeing that one of my children, much, more my son is involved makes this a completely different case. Normally, I would have just shot you in the head by now." The weary police chief said this in a straight face. L gulped.

"But, I think that, judging from the stunt you did just now, you would still marry him even if I stop you. Considering everyone's opinion, and your hold against my son, I think that I could not oppose that anymore. You should thank your future child for saving your life, Ryuuzaki", he said a little bitterly.

"I will keep that in mind in the future, Dad." L let the word slip out discreetly, but Souichiro still heard it, as he glared back at L.

"I did not permit you to call me that!" He shot angrily.

"Of course, Otou-sama," L followed up.

"Why, you…."

Watari cleared his throat at this point, just in time to break up the brewing fight. "L, please stop acting so childishly", he reprimanded, and turned to Souichiro. "I believe we have more important issues to discuss this time."

Souichiro blinked, considerably calmer now.

"Right", he agreed. "I would like to set down my conditions before I agree to this arrangement."

He stopped for a moment to look at his audience. Satisfied that they all looked attentive, especially Raito, he continued.

"Raito and Ryuuzaki must marry." The boy in question looked very disappointed upon hearing the final verdict, but his father pressed on. "It is the only way I could ever forgive such a shameful act from ever happening, and it will save the Yagami honor from disgrace."

He looked back at his son, whose head was already down, buried in shame. Keeping firm with his ideals, he decided to continue with setting his conditions. He knew that his son already got what he meant, and there will be no need for further explanations.

"However, I want you people to observe my conditions. Break even one rule and the deal is off", he said threateningly. L allowed him to continue.

"First of all, the marriage is going to take place in Japan. I heard that Watari conduct even same sex marriages legally anywhere, so I would like it to take place here."

Watari nodded in acknowledgement, and he continued.

"Raito is going to keep his family name 'Yagami', and his child will use the same surname", he looked at L's reaction. "Although, L is free to take Raito to anywhere he wants to after the wedding. I have already considered that given Raito's…situation, I think it will be for the best if only a few people will discover his state. Therefore, it will be more suitable to leave the country. But he is required to come back here as soon as the child is born. I would like to see my first grandchild at the soonest possible time."

L, who was chewing his thumb all this time, replied, "That would be for the best, Yagami-san. I may have a surname, but it will be better for our child to take the Yagami name, for his and my safety. If possible, I would like to take Raito to England, until the child is born, so no one in Japan will know about Raito's true condition."

Souichiro nodded.

"The wedding will take place three days from now, and after that the two of you can leave the country. However, I am requiring Raito to keep in touch with me and report his situation every week, so that I will know how Ryuuzaki is treating him. If I hear anything about violence, arguments, much more if I don't hear from Raito at all for more than a week, I will go to England myself and take Raito with me."

"Understood, Yagami-san"

"And there will be no displays of affection, public or private, especially from you, Ryuuzaki, before the wedding takes place, and even after the said wedding, I do not want to hear any scandalous issues about the two of you, else there will be hell to pay."

L kept still for a moment, and sighed. "I will comply with such condition, Yagami-san"

Souichiro smiled, satisfied that he at least had something to say with the inevitable matter. "Well then, I'll leave you guys to plan the wedding. If you'll excuse me, I have to go back to the headquarters and wrap up this Friday the thirteenth case."

With a loud bang, the weary police officer left the family meeting, delegating his place to his wife, who was more than happy to comply.

"Now then, any suggestions about the attire and the general feel of the wedding?" Sachiko started.

L raised his hand, but Raito got the hint and went ahead of the detective.

"I would like to reiterate, that I will NOT, in any circumstances, wear a gown, a dress or anything that has a feminine impression whatsoever. Anyone who suggests such a thing will get shot in the head by my father." Raito firmly announced, and L slowly lowered his hand sheepishly.

"Then, how about black and white? It's simple, yet elegant at the same time." Sayu suggested.

"That might work," Sachiko complimented. "But as a young mother, it had been my dream to see Raito get married in a traditional Japanese manner. I think Souichiro would also agree."

"I too, would like to see Raito in a kimono. I think it would look perfect on him." L winked, but retreated on the look on Raito's face. "Of course, it would be a male's kimono."

Watari raised his hand.

"It seems that we are all in agreement for a traditional Japanese wedding. If you may, I can arrange everything from this point, though I will have to consult Sachiko-san for further details. Might I suggest that we proceed on buying for the things we need?"

"Of course, Watari-san. I'll go with you." Sachiko merrily said as she stood up.

"I'll go too", Sayu said excitedly, jumping from her seat.

The three of them left quickly, leaving the couple alone for the first time. The awkward atmosphere swiftly returned, and the two of them were silent for what seemed to be forever.

L breathlessly dared to break the ice.

"So, Raito-kun", he said a little loudly, bracing himself as he turned to the boy. "I…"

"Don't", Raito said firmly, so suddenly that L held back his words. "I don't want to hear from you anymore." The boy said a little softly, as his shoulders dropped lowly in a depressed manner. It was the first time L saw Raito in this state, and truthfully, he didn't know what to do.

He sighed heavily as he slid back, letting go of the excess tension but still alert for what might happen. It did not take long for him to hear what he expected from the distressed teen, because after a few minutes, distinct sounds of repressed sobs where heard echoing from the closed room. Raito was clearly crying, and L wanted to hug him badly. Finally, after a few minutes of hard crying, L decided that he couldn't take it anymore and he has to make this stop.

"Raito-kun", he said gently. The boy continued crying, but L kept repeating Raito's name until the sobbing gradually became softer.

"Raito-kun", he repeated, as the teen violently rubbed his face with his arms, although with the tears continuously flowing L knew that he was doing a very bad job at stopping it. L felt really sorry for the boy, which was a first. He had never felt sorry for anyone before. He was raised to never regret his actions, after all, being a top detective. But now, everything seemed different.

When the sounds gradually lessened into soft sobs, L felt a little relieved, although he could still feel the very heavy atmosphere. L for the first time knew that he had done something wrong.

"I'm sorry", he said softly, clearly, like he really meant it. "Raito-kun, I'm sorry." He said, desperately wanting the boy to stop crying. At this point, he was willing to do anything just to make the boy smile.

"I was a jerk", he admitted, and this time, the boy looked at him with hate.

Rubbing the last tears on his eyes, he gave the detective a revolted look. "Of course, you are", he said at last. "So you finally admit that you are."

L nodded. "Indeed, Raito-kun. I never knew how much pain I might have caused you. I am an insensitive bastard."

Raito held back a sob. "Yeah, you are."

Suddenly, L's eyes widened as he saw a smile forming from the boy's face. He was genuinely surprised, that it only took a simple admittance for that very precious smile. L laughed from relief.

"What are you laughing about?" Raito asked the laughing sleuth, clearly annoyed that he didn't understand what was happening.

L realized that laughing so hard would greatly piss the boy, and stopped immediately.

"Nothing, Raito-kun", L said quickly, hoping that what he would say would be enough explanation for his irritated soon-to-be partner, else doom might abound. "I was just relieved that Raito stopped crying, is all."

Raito pouted childishly, but thankfully, he let it go and instead, let himself relax on the couch.

"I'm nervous about all of this", Raito admitted quietly. L quickly turned to look at the boy, greatly surprised at the sudden revelation.

"Raito-kun does not need to worry, since I am by his side."

Raito let out a little laugh. "That's why I'm worried."

L let out a little laugh, fully aware that it wouldn't actually do much given the situation but not knowing what to do.

"Stop that", Raito spat, irritated, "This is a very serious matter."

The lanky detective leaned back on the couch, and faced the boy with a pouting face.

"Does Raito-kun really hate me that much?" He asked in a very unnatural kicked puppy look.

"Of course", Raito responded as a matter-of-factly, puffing his chest for an added effect.

"And there is nothing I can do to change the situation?" the detective followed up.

"Absolutely"

"Raito-kun won't give me even just one chance to redeem myself?"

The said boy gave him an appraising look. "You've already had your way with me. You even won me from my father, and you're even going to marry me. What else do you want from me?"

L can see that the boy has a point. Even without the shinigami participating, Raito had been on the losing side ever since it all began.

"Love, Raito-kun", L said bracingly.

Raito blinked, then laughed hard as the words registered to him. L pouted once more, the hurt look not matching his usual emotionless face.

"I am serious, Raito-kun", he said in an offended tone. The boy did not stop laughing, rather, he was laughing harder now, to the point of tears. L endured minutes of mocking until the teen could not breathe anymore.

"What is so funny about that, Raito-kun?", he asked after the boy's laughing stopped.

Raito wiped his tears from laughing so hard, not believing that the detective can be this clueless.

"I never thought you'd know such a word, Ryuuzaki.", the boy explained. "I get the impression that you're a heartless bastard who runs on sugar. Don't use the word for granted, L."

L said nothing, and chose to sulk instead of responding. The whole room became quiet afterwards, and either of them thought the other was asleep.

"I'll prove to Raito-kun that that is not the case", L said suddenly, and the sudden jerk of Raito's shoulders gave L the knowledge that the boy was in fact awake. However, the boy did not say a word until he actually slept from fatigue.

* * *

"Do I look better now?"

Raito could swear he had asked that question a hundred times already, and it was only thanks to the limitless patience of the Yagami women that spared him from imminent danger, but he couldn't help himself. Truthfully, his nervousness seemed to increase with each passing day, and now, he was on the brink of insanity, and that was only a gross understatement of his situation. He could not remember eating properly for the past few days that he already lost a lot of weight. Today was the worse yet.

"You look good no matter what you wear, Raito. We've told you that already", Sachiko repeated for the umpteenth time.

"But I want to look my best…"

"There is no time, your father will be very irritated if the wedding wont start as scheduled."

At the mention of his father, Raito stopped hesitating and decided not to look for other varieties of kimonos Watari provided.

"Perhaps I should fix my hair…"

"Nii-chan…."

"What? It looks a little wavy on this side. I don't think I…"

"Is Raito-kun alright in there?"

A faint knock was heard from outside, which made Raito a little jumpy.

"Ryuuzaki! You know it's bad luck to look at the bride before the wedding." Sachiko reprimanded.

Ignoring the "I'm not the bride" comment from Raito, which caused L's lips to form a taunting smile, he responded.

"Though I think it is improbable that such a thing would actually happen in the future, I would not risk even the faintest chance of its possibility and resist the urge to open this door. However, I'll have to remind Raito-kun that his father is becoming impatient."

"We'll be there in a minute", Sachiko said irritatingly. "How come that boy always speaks so indirectly? No wonder…"

"Mom", Raito interrupted. "Let's hurry up."

"Sure, sweetie." His mother magically finished everything in an instant. "There, you're good to go, hun."

A louder knock was heard again, but this time, the said door opened, revealing Souichiro.

We're ready", Sachiko announced.

"Actually, I want to speak to Raito before he goes down."

"Sure, sweetheart." Sachiko said as she took Sayu with her. "We'll wait for you outside."

Souichiro cleared his throat, and nodded. As soon as the door closed, he hugged his son tightly.

"Dad….I can't breathe." Raito choked, and the weary policeman let go of him quickly.

"I'm sorry, son. I had been so hard on you these past few days, even though I knew it's not your fault."

"It's okay…" Raito managed to say after he recovered.

"I honestly wanted to protect you from that bastard, but I couldn't defend you from what he has against me. I'm so sorry." He sat down. "I am such a terrible father. We can stop this wedding if you want to."

"It's okay, Dad. I have already decided on this. I have to be more responsible now that I am an adult." Raito said with more conviction than his father could have expected from him.

"Raito" Souichiro mouthed breathlessly. "I am proud of you."

The proud father then helped his son with his suit, as they contemplated together.

"Listen, Raito if that guy ever gives you trouble, just call me and I'll fly there if I have to." The police chief said suddenly, making Raito laugh a little.

"You don't have to do that."

"And be sure to be the seme next time."

"DAD!"

* * *

The wedding in itself was simple, with the Yagami family as the only witness, and Watari acting as the judge. He was also in charge of the whole setting, which he made sure was according to Sachiko's wishes. Even with L's situation, being a detective who is very important to be seen in public, Watari did a brilliant job of turning the once boring private headquarters into a more relaxing Japanese setting. There were even bamboo fountains located around the area.

The couple, as well as the audience, were wearing kimonos, and the ceremony was very solemn. Even L was behaving properly, observing the right decorum and for the first time ever wearing appropriately to the occasion. Raito never thought it to be possible. The music, recorded beforehand and was automatically playing was soft and relaxing, but it did hinted a touch of importance and solemnity.

Raito took all his time walking down the aisle, as he was very nervous all of a sudden. It did not help at all when he saw the other groom, the very detective that he detested, staring at him shamelessly a few meters away.

The wedding ceremony was done quickly, as Souichiro still had to go back to the headquarters to wrap up the case. Watari was, true to his reputation, able to pull off such demanding requests and more, and Sachiko adored him to no end.

"If there is anyone who thinks that the two should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace." As Watari said the last few lines, a distinct reloading of a gun can be heard from the audience. L suspected that it had to be his future father-in-law, who does not want any interruptions at this point. The wedding quickly ended in a relatively peaceful manner, and only when Watari pronounced it did L feel as though he won someone important, and he was glad that they can finally be together.

Everything went smoothly until Watari said that they may now kiss each other. Hesitating, L looked at Raito for permission. The boy did not seem to like the idea very much.

"Come on, Raito-kun. Your father has a gun in his hand and I would very much like it away from your person. Can you please allow me to kiss you even just this once?" L pleaded.

Raito nodded weakly, from fear of his father, L smiled and gave him a wet smooch straight at the lips.

Minutes later, Raito would needlessly explain to the hurt detective nursing his left eye that he did not mean to hit the man as such, and that it was only a reflex in his part.

Thus, they became a married couple.


	10. Family Blessing

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** After the failed elopement by L and Raito, Souchiro finally agreed to make the two legally married, and arranged the circumstances according to each party's demands. Raito will then be bound for abroad after the solemn wedding took place...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

**Family Blessing**

"Here", Raito said as he handed L a small bag before walking out of the room again. The detective took it to himself to lean pathetically sprawled out on the couch, pretending to be in agony. "Jeez, stop acting like it's that bad. I know it isn't."

"Raito-kun is so cruel. I don't remember doing anything to make him want to hit me like that" L muttered as he took the bag from Raito. "What is this?"

"Ice packs", Raito explained. "Stop complaining and just put it on your eye."

L did as he was told, and did not say anything else as he watched the boy walk away from him.

"Where is Raito-kun going?" The detective asked as his curiosity overwhelmed him.

"To my room, obviously," he said as a matter-of-factly. "I still have a lot of things to pack before I can leave tomorrow."

"But you've already packed when we decided to elope, didn't you?"

Raito looked at him irritatingly. "I could hardly consider that packing. You literally dragged me to that airport in the middle of the night with only a meager amount of clothing, much less any other personal effects."

"But that was more than enough. Why does Raito-kun need to take all of that stuff with him anyway?" L asked obliviously.

Raito unconsciously puffed his chest.

"You obviously do not know anything about moving out. I need my things or else I'll be bothered and probably get stressed along the way."

"I only take what is necessary. It is quite practical to do so when you're traveling a lot."

"Well, I'm not like you and I suppose it's Watari who does the packing for you anyway, so you probably don't understand. Just sit back there and don't bother me."

"Raito-ku-n…" L deliberately prolonged the 'kun' at the end, just to get the boy's attention, which only ended up pissing the boy more. "You can do that tomorrow. Can't you just sit with me here for a while? I am lonely without you here"

"We are leaving tomorrow morning. Stop suggesting such selfish things and just let me finish packing." He looked away, trying his best to hide his red face from the persistent man.

"I can get Watari to do that for you. Why don't we just enjoy our time today? We just got married."

The teen looked tenaciously at the couch, which was presently occupied by the insensitive detective, and twitched.

"I'd rather do this myself." He said a little forcefully.

"And I had the impression that Raito-kun was an effective packer. He has been packing for two hours now. If it had been Watari, it would have only taken him 30 minutes."

That did it, apparently, saying such things still affect the boy's pride.

"Well," he said after breathing hard. "I'm nearly finished anyway. Stop bringing Watari to the subject."

"Will Raito-kun sit down with me now?" L asked expectantly.

Raito sighed.

"You really won't go easy on me, huh," he asked in a surrendered voice.

"But of course, Raito-kun." L replied assertively. "There are times when a man needs to fight for his rights."

He put his arm on the boy's shoulder the moment Raito sat down beside him, and he was about to uncharacteristically snuggle on Raito's shoulders when a very distinct and more assertive cough came on their way.

"L, I thought I was clear that I did not want to see any public displays of affection anywhere near my vicinity, let alone in my own house." Soucihiro said firmly, anger obviously rising at the second.

L immediately withdrew his arm from the boy, not even realizing that cold sweat was running from his back out of pure reflex.

"Yagami-san", he said tensely. "I was just…"

"Oh, don't be like that, dear", came another voice, which also reflexively made L sigh in relief. Sachiko always came just in time to save him from his husband's sudden outbursts.

"He just got home from his own wedding. You were also like that back then, right. Remember what you did when you…"

"All right," Souichiro said a little more loudly than he usual, obviously trying to put an end to the looming conversation and effectively stopping his wife from even going there. It was hard for L to hide his smirk at that point, as he easily got exactly what they were talking about.

"Anyway, I can sit here and entertain Ryuuzaki for a while. It's high time we get to know each other, if you know what I mean", she looked convincingly innocent at Souichiro, a feat only a wife can do at a certain overprotective husband. "You can rest for a while, if you like."

"Hmph", the tired police-chief grunted, puffing his chest a bit more to give a more authoritative effect. "As long as he doesn't do any funny business with my son"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Raito is going to prepare dinner anyway, won't you, Raito? I'll just stay here and entertain Ryuuzaki for a while", Sachiko nodded eagerly, and Raito had no choice but to follow his own mother's suggestion, lest he suffer the much feared rage of his father. He nodded weakly as he proceeded to the kitchen, sighing heavily as he left.

"Don't worry about me, Raito-kun", L assured him "I will be fine by myself with Sachiko-san. Please be at ease."

That earned him another heavy sigh.

* * *

"Look what I have here, Ryuuzaki-san!"

L cocked his head curiously to the source of the voice, and found Raito's mother shoving what looked to be heaps of books in front of L's field of vision. He blinked for a while, as his mind registered that one of the said books was placed on his lap, only realizing then that the fact that a book was on his lap meant that he was sitting like a normal man for once, and it meant abnormal for L. It was no wonder why he couldn't think clearly at the moment.

"What are these, Yagami-san?" L asked politely as the elderly woman giggled.

"Please call me Sachiko", she said casually. "These are Raito's photo albums. Do you want to see them?"

Sachiko did not even give the detective time to answer as she sat next to him and opened one. However, L's answer had been too obvious as he instantly darted his eyes to the nearest photo.

A single picture of a smiling woman greeted him, sitting on where he now sat, with warm eyes welcoming the camera.

"That's me more than eighteen years ago. I was three months pregnant with Raito then"

L looked at the picture before him, as he remembered Raito's face when he came back for him that time. There was a welcoming smile in his face, similar to the pregnant Sachiko in the picture. He remembered the happiness he felt at the moment, as he embraced Raito, reassuring him that everything will be alright. He had wished that the moment would last forever, just holding the boy closer, feeling his heartbeat meld into his own, and the boy holding him back. It was something L had longed for, and now treasured deep in his heart. This was exactly the same emotions he felt harbored on that one photograph. It felt as if he was connected to the picture somehow.

The youthful look in Raito's mother reminded L of the boy, and what he currently is. There was a kind of similarity showing on their faces, one L could not describe in words. However, it was a very welcoming feeling indeed, and L thought, he could not get tired looking at Raito's face, even if the years pass. He wondered if he could also capture Raito in that moment, smiling peacefully and endearingly, like what the old photograph did, showing everything he wanted in front of him.

"Now I know where Raito got his looks from. Sachiko-san looks very beautiful", L said wistfully. Sachiko blushed at the comment, but said nothing. Instead, he turned the page carefully, and gestured L to look at them.

The first picture showed the young couple, Sachiko smiling sweetly as Souichiro tensed close by. Raito's mother explained that the photo was taken just after their wedding, and that her husband was generally wary at cameras, so much that he always gets awkward in occasions like this, as evidenced by his stuck-up face. That seemed to explain the police-chief's attitude during Raito's wedding. He never smiled during any of the pictorials, and his stance was always so stuck up, that L got the feeling that the older man was still angry at L for knocking up his son, and that for some reason, he wanted to still stop the wedding.

Now that L knew, though, he understood that it was just the poor father's nature to get really tense in front of cameras. It would explain everything, L thought. The whole time, he was having the feeling that the old man was just angry at him. Now though, he was proven wrong. Or perhaps, it might have been a contributing factor. For all he knew, the man was just keeping his anger to himself, but now he felt relieved.

The succeeding pictures showcased a variety of shots featuring Sachiko and Souichiro, either alone, or together, and sometimes, with a couple of friends. It was evident that they were perfect for each other, and L envied them. He wanted him and Raito to be the same too, if not better.

Looking at the pictures reminded him of the time when he was first welcomed by the family. It was just after they had all agreed that the two of them must marry, and everyone was doing everything they can to prepare for the occasion. Raito said that it was Sachiko who suggested that they should invite their future son-in-law for dinner, though the boy also hinted that it would be the first phase in Souichiro's general 'suitor probe', or whatever ridiculous term Raito called back then. The police chief seemed to take the protectiveness for his children to a different level.

It seemed that L shared something in common with Raito's family—neither of them wanted to let go of the beautiful teen, especially with what had happened. It was a silent, mutual agreement, one that L could have chose to amend if he was not keeping in mind that he needed to pacify Raito's family, if not be on favorable terms with them. He had no choice but to try and be on the family's good side, which is a hard feat in itself. Besides, he can take Raito wherever he wanted the moment they get married, and so he chose to endure.

Besides, as long as he got to be with Raito, he shouldn't complain.

The family had been even considerate enough to let them have a room of their own before the wedding, namely Raito's room, which, although a little too small and uncomfortable for them (in L's opinion), still provided them a little privacy, something L took comfort in. They even gave him a futon, upon Raito's insistence, since the boy found it uncomfortable to share his single-sized bed to another man, let alone L.

All in all, it was a decent arrangement; at least L could endure in a short time. It was only the thought of them being allowed to leave after all of these that kept his hopes up. And anyway, as a form of consolation, much to Raito's disdain, he was beginning to learn more about the boy he was determined to marry. Not to mention, he was also learning things he decided he didn't want to know after all.

For instance, just now, as he was looking at the photo albums, he discovered Souichiro's prowess for guns, and interrogation skills for that matter; But more importantly, at guns. He was an excellent sniper, as his many trophies can attest to, and he was the all time sniper champion to boot, as evidenced by a picture showing just that. It was one of the main reasons to his ascent to police chief-hood, that, and his head strong dedication.

When L told Raito about the incident with his father at the shooting range just hours after they found the boy, Raito was genuinely amused.

"So that's it?" Raito goaded just after he finished his story. "He didn't do anything to you? Just like that?"

The boy was pressing on curiously, and L was honestly intrigued. Later on, L discovered that Souichiro was the force to be reckoned with, at least when it comes to the children's suitors. He heard through Raito just how much terror he could give to poor, innocent men who just happened to take interest to his children.

Like on one case, Sayu's would-be boyfriend never stood a chance to even make it to phase one. The thorough interrogation alone made him cry his eyes off, and these days, the poor boy avoided the Yagami family (especially the head of it) like a plague.

And then there was this one guy who used to be Raito's stalker. Being Raito was sometimes a curse, and even though it annoyed him, his perfect looks and personality attracted a variety of admirers, even those of the same sex. Raito unfortunately attracted creepy stalkers as well, and this one man had been noteworthy for it.

When his father discovered the existence of such a man, he started his own investigation for it, and within a week he got to apprehend the culprit. They never heard anything from him ever since. What happened to him, or where he was right now was a total mystery to anyone other than the police chief, and Raito just put it at that. It was good riddance anyway.

L could count himself a lucky man indeed, to not feel the wrath of Raito's father. Well technically, L was an entity higher from Souichiro anyway, way out of his league. L was the boss of Raito's dad. But Raito commented, gravely, that that fact never stopped his dad before, and that he really should thank his lucky stars, and Watari, bless the man. He would be seriously screwed without the elder man. Frankly, L decided not to inquire about what could have happened if not for his so called luck, although he already had a clue on how it was, considering how the man had a gun on his son's wedding day.

Flipping through the pages absently, he finally reached a page showcasing Souichiro's better half, Sachiko. The woman was noteworthy too, like her husband, in a different, but still disturbing sort of way. L's stomach could attest to that. The horrors of that day was enough for even L to get scared to the point that cold sweat was already running through his back.

L could still remember the first time he had dinner in the Yagami household. He was like a total noob, and L would rather forget that embarrassing moment. Sachiko greeted him with the same enthusiasm she had when she offered him to look at their family album. If only L learned about it earlier…

"Do you like cake?" Sachiko asked cheerfully the first time they met. L's eyes lit up remarkably at the mention of cake, and instantly nodded at the woman's offer as her smile widened.

"Well, you can eat as many as you want."

As promised, right after dinner that day, Sachiko happily served him a whole helping of cake. Raito, who sat next to him, being his fiancé and all, looked on with disgust. He finished the whole cake within minutes, and Sachiko immediately served him another one.

The scenario went on like this for what seemed like an hour, neither of the parties seemed to want to give in to each other. Soon, Souichiro left the table with work as an excuse, and Sayu said something about homework. Only Raito and Sachiko stayed with L, Raito mainly because he was trying to make L stop this nonsense. But L could be very stubborn when he wanted to, and Raito could only roll his eyes in irritation.

It was thirty cakes later when L finally realized that he bit off more than he could chew in this situation, both literally and figuratively. He honestly wanted to stop, but the smile in Sachiko's face made him want to go on, even while knowing that the cakes would continue to fill up his plate no matter how much he ate.

Raito's mother was scary in that way. L thought that such a tactic might actually work to stop sweets addicts like himself from being so. Personally, L would prefer not to see even a shadow of cake after all of this was over, for at least a year, but when he was there, face to face with Sachiko and the cake, he did not want to lose, he could, as he was already starting to feel sick from seeing the cake in front of him, consider this as a test from his future mother-in-law.

He did not want to lose in that respect. His pride would not allow it, being a notorious sweets addict that he was. And so, sucking up everything he was feeling at that moment, he went ahead and proceeded to devour the nth cake…

Only to be puked on by a sicker-looking Raito.

Apparently, watching the scene unfold before him was enough to make him nauseous, and with the pregnancy factor to consider, he could only take so much. He actually even surpassed himself by holding on until then. In a rather funny way, something in L wanted to thank the boy for doing that, for salvaging his pride. The vomit dripping from across his lap was enough reason for him to stop this foolishness, and it was just like L to seize the opportunity.

"Raito-kun, are you alright?" L asked urgently at the pale-looking teen in front of him, eyes filled with concern, that he promptly ignored the situation he was in himself.

"Ugh…" Raito groaned, "I don't feel so well…"

L smiled goofily at him.

"Come on, let's go", L gently assisted him off the table and into the bathroom as the boy walked faintly.

And now, after many trips to the bathroom later (both on L and Raito's part), and after giving a promise to Raito that he will never eat like that again, for both their sakes, the two of them felt much better, and L felt very much at home after that. He realized that he didn't need to pretend to be something else, or to force himself to the extremes just to be accepted. Being true to himself was just fine, and it avoided complications. L thought, that he never felt so conscious like this before, to actually go to such lengths. It must be because Raito was involved. He always finds himself so self-conscious whenever Raito was around.

At least, this time around, Raito would be the one to make dinner. All was well, in that case.

L finally reached the page that he had been longing to see.

"That's Raito, just a few hours after he was born. They don't allow pictures on the actual delivery room back then, so this was the earliest picture we ever got."

Sachiko proudly pointed to the picture of a small infant, still reddish from birth, held by a calm-looking Sachiko and a nervous Souichiro by his side.

Raito looked very small in the picture, L thought, and wondered if he ever got to be small like that too. He had no recollection of his childhood whatsoever, much less his parents, because he thought that such things were meaningless. When he met Watari, he was already acting like a real adult. As such, he could not remember anything about his childhood, or how to be a child. In fact there were no pictures to prove that he actually became one.

But Raito apparently became a child, and an extremely cute one at that. There were no bad angles as long as Raito was in the picture, with Raito's first smile, first laugh, first hair cut. There was a picture of him playing with his toys, singing, dancing and reading.

"Raito actually started reading when he was two", Sachiko pleasantly mused. "We saw him reading Souichiro's police report that fell on the floor. That was the time Souichiro knew that his son would be in the police force."

L blinked, impressed by that piece of information. But he wouldn't let himself be beaten just yet. Perhaps back in his childhood, which right now he was fairly certain he actually had (because Raito had one too), he must have read books before he even hit two. And he righteously assumed that he was just as cute as Raito when he was a child. All because, he wouldn't lose in those kinds of things. Besides, he treated Raito like an equal.

Sachiko smiled eagerly as she waited for L to turn on the next page. It turned out that his newly made mother-in-law's idea of entertainment was pretty much close to the boy's own idea of fun, that was, showing off his son to others, especially now, as they were browsing Raito's pictures on his cutest stages.

"And that's Raito's first commercial", Sachiko narrated excitedly. "Oh, and that's Raito's first modeling contest." The pictures went on and on, each showing just one of Raito's many 'firsts'. L's arms were starting to get numb from turning all the pages.

"I wonder, Sachiko-san", he said curiously after a while. "How many of Raito's firsts did you capture on film?"

"Oh, lots and lots", Sachiko said proudly. "That whole row displays all of Raito's firsts. I made sure to keep watch on his every move as he grew up. I even watch him on his sleep."

'O-kay', he thought. As creepy as that may sound, L could relate. At that moment, he felt a rather weird bond between the two of them, as he discovered his mother-in-law's stalker-like tendencies when it comes to Raito. Now he knew that he wasn't alone on his strange hobby.

It wasn't actually their fault anyway, he thought. When it comes to Raito, you tend to develop these tendencies. Even his own mother did, therefore, he realized that it was only natural for him to develop the same. They were practically soul mates now, and at least L can share his own fanaticism to another person. They could even be tea buddies.

"What's the matter, Ryuuzaki, do you find these collections boring?" Sachiko said worriedly when she processed the detective's latter questions. "Maybe you would like to see Raito's pictures when he's a little older?"

"Oh, not at all, Sachiko-san, in fact I find all of Raito-kun's pictures interesting", he said in an assuring tone. "Although, now that I think of it, I would very much like to see Raito-kun as he grew older."

The doting mother's eyes literally lit up at that notion, as she excitedly got up and searched eagerly on the whole shelf full of picture books, as if looking for the next book in a bestselling series.

"My friends all adore his pictures", she said proudly. "He is really cute as a boy. You're really one lucky guy."

Sachiko gave him a hard-bound leather book, which weighed at least a ton, thick with pages. It looked as if the whole book was custom-made, considering how thick this one book was, so that all of Raito's pictures would fit in one place.

"See there? That's Raito on his dad's police uniform"

If it was possible, L's eyes would have already popped up, as he discovered a new level of cute. Raito in his toddler years was definitely a testament to his sexiness in later life. If anything, he could swear that Raito must be the cutest five-year old he had ever seen, and it must have looked even cuter if he actually saw the boy back then. It would not be impossible for L to fall in love with him even back then, even if they were still young.

Raito looked adorable, hands down. Even with the very loose police uniform that was his father's, he managed to pull off a gorgeous effect. He was even saluting like he was a real police officer. Such pictures could melt anyone's heart.

Then L saw Raito in his pre-school uniform, and L could have been a pedophile just in that moment.

"Isn't he cute?" Raito's mother giggled. "That was on his first day of school, and that's his first play, and this was when he won a special science award…"

L could only look in awe. He was honestly tempted to just snatch all of these photo albums away and run quickly to keep it as his own, but he figured that it was all stupid, and that Souichiro, whom he already offended numerous times this week, would hunt him down and murder him if he added another crime on his list. It was a dangerous whim, one that a guy could get if he gets exposed to all these dangerous photos.

L observed that most of Raito's pictures in that age also contained another boy who looked pretty much like his age, always beside him, smiling cheerfully for the camera.

"Who is this boy, Sachiko-san?" L tried to be casual asking about this, but he found himself very curious as to the boy's identity.

"Oh, that's our next door neighbor, Yuuto-kun. He used to spend a lot of time here, with Raito."

"Used to?"

"Well, he's in America now. The Kawaguchis migrated there when his father's business boomed."

"I see…"

L evidently calmed down at this point. For a second there, he thought that he had a rival, but thankfully, it was just a false alarm.

L casually perused the pictures, showing Raito as he gradually got older. He took his time to enjoy this, really. Raito looked so young and innocent, pretty much like he was today.

It was at this time when the front door suddenly opened, revealing Raito, who was currently the epitome of sexy, even when he just spent his time in the kitchen.

"What are you two doing?" Raito asked suspiciously, looking around the area. From there, it did not take him too long to figure out what they had been doing the whole time he was gone.

"Mom, I told you not to show my pictures to anyone."

"But I can't help it Raito, you just look so adorable back then, I couldn't bear to just let it stored there, accumulating dust. Besides, he's you're husband, right? I think he has the right to see it more than anyone else"

"I agree with Sachiko-san. Pictures like that should be shown to everyone. It deserves that degree of attention, since Raito-kun is just so sexy", L seconded, in a slightly seductive tone that although Sachiko missed, Raito noticed, and already made the boy's ears turn red.

"Don't you get involved", Raito warned the detective, but it was a long lost argument especially with his mother around. He had no choice but to look helplessly in the background as his mother happily showed more of his pictures.

L snickered silently, but decided to not rub it into Raito anymore, and instead just enjoy all the photographs. At least in the pictures, his beloved Raito-kun will smile for him for all eternity, or at least, as long as it was not exposed to UV radiation.

"And this was when he graduated from Junior high. It was such a waste, you know? He quit all the activities he was involved in when he entered high school. I never got to take pictures…"

L looked on, and had to agree that the photos were considerably less than all of his childhood photographs, not to mention that Raito looked more serious in the majority of it. Perhaps it was adolescence kicking in, with Raito trying to find freedom and privacy.

The last photo was on Raito's high school graduation. Sachiko sighed.

"That was the only picture I got from his graduation. He didn't even smile, and his father never made it, because of that case", she recalled sadly. "After a while, Raito got involved, and I've barely even heard from them."

She sighed again, and L lowered his head, feeling a little guilty.

"Anyway, you should stop that for now. Dinner is ready and dad is hungry" Raito said, not minding the uncomfortable tension spreading the place. L smirked at that. The boy really had a way to break up the tension, but nonetheless, it was effective.

"Oh, of course dear", Sachiko hastily said as she scrambled to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.

"Well then, can Raito-kun lead me to the dining table?" L said casually, never taking his eyes off the boy even once.

Light snarled at L, who was currently looking at him with innocent eyes. Raito was right though, it was no use regretting about the past, and feeling guilty at mistakes. The present was all that matters, and he, being a future father, had to make sure that he would not have to be lost in the present and regret it later. Perhaps he could also document his child's life with pictures, or maybe, video recordings could be nicer. He was good at that. He unconsciously smiled at the teen who was carrying his would-be child.

"I hate you", Raito said spitefully, as he began rearranging the photo albums neatly in their respective shelves.

"That kind of honesty is what I like about Raito-kun. It gives me an assurance that I mean something to him."

Light pouted.

"I meant that in a bad way."

L could only laugh softly.

"I love you too, Raito-kun"

* * *

"There are three important things I learned about Raito-kun today."

L proudly announced as soon as the two of them were in the privacy of Raito's bedroom, just minutes after dinner. Raito looked curiously at him, eagerly waiting for what the detective had to say about him. The boy could be vain sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"What about me?", he demanded, pretending not to care but actually failing dismally at it.

"Well then, first, Raito-kun is a good cook. He made me want to eat healthy food that I used to shun from Watari, and it was actually good. Second is, Raito-kun is adorable as a child", L licked his lips. "The last one would be that he gets easily embarrassed at simple things."

Raito blushed furiously.

"Those are completely useless, untrue facts about me! You really are an idiot", the boy concluded, face already flushed from embarrassment.

"But I am only speaking the truth. Raito-kun is a real kitchen prodigy, and he is the most adorable child I had ever seen", L countered. "Besides, this is the first time I've seen a grown man lose dismally to his mother whenever she teases him."

The boy blushed even more, trying to redeem himself.

"I did not blush in front of my mom!" although, obviously, he did. "And it was only because she was saying inappropriate things."

"On the contrary, Raito-kun, I think it was very appropriate for a mother to worry about her son on his first wedding night, she was only showing her concern for you, and her warnings on not being too noisy is also well based, since she is only in the next room and she might hear us", L said in a very professional manner. "Besides, I would daresay that Raito-kun is old enough to know exactly what happens to newly-wed couples on their first night alone."

L took this as a chance to lie down on Raito's bed, expecting the boy to follow suit.

"It won't happen here, or anywhere else for that matter!" Raito shouted defensively.

"What is Raito-kun doing?" he half demanded, because he seriously was expecting the boy to be already in his arms at least five minutes ago.

"What are you doing there?" Raito asked in exchange.

"I'm sharing a bed with Raito-kun." L answered as if it wasn't obvious.

"You're not allowed to share a bed with me. Get out now."

"I've never thought Raito-kun to be this heartless. We just got married."

"That does not give you the right to sleep in my bed. Get out."

They got into a staring match after that. Surprisingly, it was Raito who won.

"Thank you", Raito said in relief as he lay on his bed.

"Anything for Raito-kun", L said sarcastically as sat on the chair instead, as he continued staring at the teen. It was not long before Raito became conscious at it.

"You can sleep on the floor, you know. There is a spare mattress on my closet."

"This is fine, Raito-kun. I prefer sitting anyway." L said offhandedly.

"Then stop staring at me!" Raito shouted, feeling very conscious by the second.

"I am not staring at Raito-kun." L countered. "I am just watching over him."

'I don't need to be 'watched over'." Raito contested. "Go away"

"You know, Raito-kun, most newly weds sleep together on their first night…"

"I don't need to hear that!" Raito blushed furiously when he heard what L said. "Besides, we're different."

The boy turned his back away from the detective, pulling up his blankets as he did so.

"Somehow, hearing that from Raito-kun does not make me happy"

Raito ignored the detective, as he tried to sleep. But L did not seem to give up, and even though he could not see it, the boy could feel the detective's strong aura that seemed to make him powerless from.

"Fine, you can sleep with me, but just for this night", Raito conceded in a very inaudible voice, but it was enough for L to hear. The big grin slowly forming in the detective's face was enough to confirm that.

* * *

When Raito said sleep, he really meant it. He fell asleep as soon as L got in his bed, that the poor detective did not have a chance to do any of his perverted plans with Raito. The boy must have been very tired after all. And now, as they walked towards the airport, it was the detective's turn to be tired.

He never had the chance to sleep, after all. It was so hard, sleeping very close to the boy whose sleeping form was pretty much eye candy, L couldn't help but ogle his eyes out, drooling shamelessly as he watched the boy's innocent figure in his sleep.

The teen's bed however, did not provide L of the usual comfort he had when they were sharing his very spacious one during the Kira investigation days. While the two of them would usually fit snugly on a king-sized bed, a bed designed only for one person did not actually work in L's favor. In the middle of the night, L decided to stop counting the times he fell, and just gave up on the idea that he could sleep on the same bed as the boy. Instead, he settled by sitting owlishly on the teen's chair, not stopping to look at Raito for even one second. That had been the exact scene when Raito first opened his eyes in the morning, that it wasn't entirely his fault to be creeped out enough to throw a pillow at the detective. L needless to say, did not have any sleep at all, and he was tired for the first time. He had been through so much over the past few weeks, and even an insomniac like him has his limits.

So he yawned widely as he sat on the cramped passenger's seat of the police-chief's car. If given his way he could have just picked Watari to drive, but none of his wishes get granted these days, that he had to convince himself that this was one of the changes of married life—getting along with the in-laws. When Souichiro insisted to drive them to the airport, L had no choice but to agree. This of course silently implied that the whole family will be going too, and so L was stuck to endure riding with Raito's family in a very tight car, forced to sit normally for the first time, and this was already too much for him to handle given the fact that he was used to being alone on car trips.

He was forced to sit in between Raito and Sayu, who was presently arguing about something nonsensical, and L found it best not to interrupt, even though he was practically in the middle of it. The third yawn probably got into Souichiro's nerves, enough to strike a conversation with the son-in-law he detested.

"Didn't you have any sleep?" The older Yagami asked in annoyance.

L blinked vaguely, and the annoyed police-chief would have smacked him in the head by now if he wasn't driving. The quirky detective considered it one of his lucky breaks.

"Unfortunately, Souichiro-san, I was not able to sleep at all last night. I appreciate your concern", he said a little tauntingly, at least in Souichiro's opinion.

"You didn't do any funny business then?" The conservative father tried not to sound so curious, but L caught him instantly.

"I don't understand what Yagami-san means by that, but I can fairly say that Raito-kun had a very good sleep. I made sure of that."

"Is that your purpose when I saw you staring at me creepily in my sleep this morning?" Raito asked quickly, joining in on the conversation.

"I was watching you in your sleep, Raito-kun, although I'm glad you stopped arguing with Sayu-chan. I have to add that you look good in anything you wear, and Sayu-chan seems to get it right when she suggested that."

The teen blushed furiously, as Sayu laughed heartily, thanking L for agreeing with her.

"You didn't have to say that!" Raito said, hitting L's head as he did so.

L quickly massaged his head, but kept on, "Oh, but I think Raito-kun also agrees that he is seriously hot. There is no need to be humble."

If it was still possible, Raito became even redder, and L would have followed up the comment if not for Souichiro stopping them.

"I do not want to hear any more of that conversation!" The tired police-chief shouted, and everyone had no choice but to continue on silently, even with Sayu's eyes glinting in mischief. This did not stop Raito to shoot L a very reproachful look, making the detective gulp involuntarily. The rest of the trip was spent in awkward silence.

When they finally arrived in the airport, Watari was already there to meet them. L hauled the majority of luggage (mostly Raito's) from the trunk of the car to the trolley Watari had provided for them, as the elder gentleman casually greeted the Yagami family.

Watari handed the boy's passport, as well as the other documents needed for the trip.

"I've already prepared everything." He assured the family. "Raito will be traveling to England as an exchange student. I've informed both schools, and filled up necessary applications as well. There is nothing to worry about."

Souichiro smiled for the first time, as he shook Watari's hand.

"Thank you for everything. Please take care of my son for me."

"It will be my pleasure, Yagami-san."

The worried father took this as a chance to say goodbye to his son for the last time. He hugged Raito briefly but tightly as he patted him on the back.

"Take care, son."

"Thanks, I will, Dad."

"Raito, we'll miss you," Sachiko said as she took his turn hugging her son. "Call sometimes, okay?"

Raito nodded, and also waved goodbye to Sayu, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait, Raito!" Sayu called, which made the teen turn back.

The young girl gave him a package, that he took with an astonished face.

"That's from Mom and me. We thought you need some help when you're alone, so we packed some of the things you might need, but don't open it until later, okay?"

Raito gave a light nod as L took his hand toward the airport.

"It has been an honor meeting you, Yagami-san. We will be taking our leave now."

"You better take care of my son", was Souichiro's parting words as the two of them went on inside, Watari taking their entire luggage along.

Raito was hesitant to move at first, but L pulled him slowly, squeezing his hand a little.

"We will meet them again, Raito-kun. But now we must hurry up or we will miss our flight." He reminded, and the boy nodded lightly. L carefully led the boy to where Watari was heading, making sure not to pull so hard, as the boy was still a little delicate.

"This will be our last look in Japan for a while, are you going to be okay?"

Raito nodded lightly, and L smiled as he took the boy to their plane.

* * *

"Are you all right, Raito-kun?" L asked again as he sat next to the boy on the plane. The teen was sitting in the window seat and was looking vacantly in the window. He looked up at L apathetically and smiled.

"I'm fine, L."

"This is most definitely not one of the usual standards I would have hoped to achieve but, I wish Raito-kun will not mind." He said as he bit his thumb, sitting in his usual way. "Watari probably made a mistake in booking our tickets. He usually does a better job than this…"

"We are in economy class" Raito pointed out.

"You're right, Raito-kun I also think that Watari set us up, though I don't understand why he would do such a thing. Do you think he was mad at me?"

The boy shrugged.

"I would also be pissed off if it was me."

"Thank you for pointing that out, Raito-kun, however, I don't think he will be mad enough to do this kind of stunt on me."

"Maybe you're low on funds? You did bought a helicopter and a building in just a span of two months."

"Money can not be a problem. Though I guess it would also be a way to tell me to spend my funds more properly." L mused. "Regardless, what Watari did was uncalled for."

"I don't mind…"

"But I wanted Raito-kun to be as comfortable as possible since the trip will be long, and this is Raito-kun's first time on a plane, right?"

"I'm fine, L. Stop worrying about me." Raito dodged. "Besides, shouldn't you be sitting properly in these cases?"

"I can sit however I like it. I'm used to it."

"If you say so…"

Minutes later, the stewardess announced that they will be leaving soon and inspected all the passengers if they were securely seated, and as Raito predicted, the girl insisted that L sit properly, else, they would kick him out off the plane. Ignoring the 'I told you so' look on Raito's face, he sat down properly as he pouted.

"This would not have happened if Watari just followed the plan" he grumbled.

"You really should set out an example to the others, you know."

"I was not trained for that purpose, Raito-kun. Besides, if I don't sit in that position, my…"

"Reasoning ability drops to forty percent." Raito finished. "Why do you need your reasoning ability in a plane ride?"

"I have to stay sharp to protect Raito-kun always."

"Whatever"

"I wonder, is there any food cart here? I want cake" L mused.

"I think it's only available on the first class areas…"

"Well then, is there any wine?"

"Ryuuzaki…"the teen finally said uneasily.

"What is it, Raito-kun?" the detective asked obliviously.

"You…is this your first time riding an economy class plane?"

"Precisely, Raito-kun. I am more used to private jets. Which is why I can't help but feel uneasy."

"Well, try not to make it obvious. It's embarrassing if you keep asking for things that are obviously not here."

L did not say anything for a while, choosing to just looking at the boy with an empty stare, until an annoyed look that threatened to smack him on the face forced him to answer.

"I understand, Raito-kun."

It became quiet for a while, and Raito sighed in relief knowing that he got his point across, only to realize that he was sorely mistaken.

"That's why I'm going to address this incident to higher management, please wait for me, Raito-kun." He said as he got up in his chair.

"Hey!", was all Raito could say as he watched the older man walk quickly to the front of the cabin. "Idiot…"

* * *

"So they kicked you out?"

"They did not kick me out, Raito-kun. I left on my own accord. I highly doubt that they could even do such a thing to me, anyway." L said defensively, sounding very agitated for a usually calm detective. "I do not think conversing with poor-mannered personnel would do anything good about the situation anyway."

"You know that they were only doing their job, right?"

"Which they were doing poorly." L said in an uncharacteristically annoyed tone. "They are seriously going to be in trouble once I…"

Raito let out a tired sigh as he let the older but more unreasonable man release his anger some more. He felt that the man really needed it, else he might just break down any minute. Come to think of it…

"Is this your first time confronting people?" Raito suddenly said, his face slowly turning to realizing something to the man like that of an epiphany. "Oh yeah! So you meant it when you told me that I was your first and only friend. You really don't talk to people, huh?"

"That would be Watari's role, as my spokesperson. I don't find it necessary to speak to people, since it only harbors opportunities for danger on my life's behalf." L explained, a little annoyed since he would have expected Raito to know by now. Surprisingly though, the whole idea seemed fresh to him, since it never crossed his mind to wonder why such things came to be. If not for Raito pointing that out, he would never have been conscious like this at all.

Honestly speaking, he did not find the need to communicate with people at all had it not been for the Kira case. The boy was right for pointing out that the first people L ever showed his face to, or talk to for that matter, was the Kira task force, and the discussions were usually professional in nature. Raito was the first person he ever talked to personally, since he always considers his talks with Watari as part of his job as a super sleuth. He was actually telling the truth when he admitted to the teen that he was his first friend, as pathetic as that may sound.

A sudden disturbance caused the plane to shake a little, and out of nowhere, L felt his arm get jerked violently on the side, as he realized that the teen unconsciously clutched on it tightly, whimpering a little, looking for safety. This sudden reflex made L smile.

"I can see that this is also Raito-kun's first plane trip as well", he said teasingly, amused at Raito's face as he realized what he had just done, and quickly let go of the detective.

"Sh-shut up! I just got taken off guard! Don't use this to conclude things!" He said as he blushed furiously and turned away from the older man, preferring the view outside. On second thought, the moment he realized that looking at the window confirmed that they were five thousand feet above the ground made him nauseous, so he had no choice but to face the man again, who was grinning mischievously. He wanted nothing more than to just wipe the grin off the man's face, but he had to admit that he really did something embarrassing, and there was nothing he can do right now to redeem himself.

"Raito-kun is cute when he is embarrassed. It makes me want to kiss him even more."

The already red face grew even redder, if it was even possible. L smirked.

"I don't think it's a bad thing to get scared at minor turbulences, Raito-kun. I think it's normal to…"

"Stop it!" Raito shouted out rather forcefully, causing other people to look at him. This made him more embarrassed as he slunk on his chair.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" the boy said a little while after, when he recovered slightly from his humiliation.

"Raito-kun knows that I do not intend to entertain myself on his own expense. I am sorry if it made that impression."

The flustered teen looked at him suspiciously, not wanting to let the crazy detective off the hook. Suddenly, he felt his insides squirm uncomfortably, and he felt very dizzy for a while, like he wanted to throw up. Unfortunately for L, the teen could not control his nausea and vomited directly on his front, causing the detective to go to the cramped bathroom in the back of the room, while the boy waited guiltily outside.

"I keep mentioning to Raito-kun that this is not his fault, and it will be all right for him to just wait for me back to our seats. What is keeping Raito-kun from staying here?" L asked as he continued rubbing his shirt in running water.

"What does it matter? Don't you want me here? And I already said I'm sorry." Raito said with a tone of guilt. Truth be told, the scene caused by him throwing up made him embarrassed enough that he couldn't go back there without L by his side. He just couldn't take it if he saw people staring at him with that knowing look in their eyes. He suspected that the detective already knew this, and was just asking him to confirm his suspicions.

"I worry about Raito-kun's health. His body still might not be stable at this point, and therefore I wish for him to go back to our seats and just rest there." L explained through the running water.

"I don't…" Raito said, a little weakly. "I mean, I'll just wait for you here."

From the hint of desperation he heard from the boy through the thin walls of the bathroom, he knew that the boy clearly needed him now, and so L hastened to finish cleaning himself quickly, opening the door again to find a weak-looking Raito looking for him.

"Let's go back, Raito-kun", he said gently, offering his hand to the boy.

The boy nodded, as he took his hand and walked with him, looking warily at the people around him.

"Don't think about it too much, Raito-kun." L assured. "You have me now."

He carefully seated him on his chair, noting that the boy had been extremely quiet and uneasy the whole time they walked. L found the need to protect him.

"Raito-kun", he said gently, patiently waiting for the boy to acknowledge him. "You can lean on me if you want to. I think that you need some rest."

The boy blushed furiously again, but L followed up his statement.

"Don't think about it too much. I just think Raito-kun is tired. Do you want to sleep?"

As a matter of fact, Raito was feeling very exhausted at the moment, but he didn't want to admit it to the detective, for fear of rubbing it in him. But at this point, it felt that it didn't matter anymore. He nodded, and the detective smiled as he took the boy's head and placed it on his shoulder, cradling it as he did so.

Raito relaxed to the sound of detective's breathing, as the man massaged his head. He felt his eyes drop heavily as his body declared that he needed sleep.

"I think that Raito-kun is right." L said after a while, when he sensed that the boy was still awake. "This may be his first time on a plane ride, but this would also be my first time interacting with numerous people. We are the same in both respects. And more importantly, this is our first time being parents." L said casually as he leaned back on his chair.

"I think that we should help each other on our weaknesses, that way we can both learn from each other. What do you think, Raito-kun?"

The teen looked at him disbelievingly, until he was finally convinced that the man was not playing with him.

"You're right."

"Can I take a picture with Raito-kun?" L said bracingly.

"Why?" Raito asked curiously.

"I just want to take a picture of us, for just one of the firsts we would have" L explained. "I think Sachiko-san would be happy to see it, and you still have to make up for the moments she missed."

Raito smiled.

"You're right", he said as he allowed the detective to click on the camera, smiling for the future people who might see it someday.

"Can I kiss Raito-kun now?"

"…"

"You're pushing it too far."

They stayed in that position for the rest of the trip, the boy falling asleep to the majority of the flight, and L patiently taking care of him. Through the rest of the flight, L came to realize what Watari's true motives were, and he was quite thankful to him that he did so. The old man never ceased taking care of him after all, and he even took effort to at least let the two of them communicate better. When Watari saw them holding hands as he picked them up, he knew that his plan was a success.


	11. House warming

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** L knew Raito a bit more by interacting with the family, and later, on the way to England, the two of them got closer due to uncomfortable travel situations.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

**Housewarming**

"That's it, I've had enough!"

Raito shouted so loud that L almost choked on his cupcake. Turning around, he saw a very annoyed teenager, red and huffing from anger, glaring daggers at him.

"Raito-kun should not raise his voice so loudly or else the others would be bothered."

"We're the only people here and this room is sound proof!"

"But vibrations Raito-kun's voice caused would have been enough to rock the whole room"

"Don't mess with me", the boy warned, but that only got L more confused than he already is.

First of all, L really got jumpy on that sudden outburst, enough to make his eardrums break, but that was just him. But anyway, he wasn't really used to loud noises that this could pretty much be considered an explosion to him, anyway. And secondly, well, L really did not have any idea on what the boy was raging about.

"What is Raito-kun talking about?"

A pillow viciously darted to his direction, which, even though he easily dodged, made him more confused.

"Stop joking around!" Raito argued, genuinely pissed at the detective's clueless face. "You know very well what I'm talking about!"

"Please, Raito-kun. I am not very good at reading people's minds."

Raito's eye twitched.

"At least, not yours", the detective added.

Raito attempted to calm down by breathing deeply, seeing that he wouldn't get anywhere with this man if he didn't.

"I know that you really wouldn't understand", Raito started, "And I guess by now I should already get over the fact that no matter where you are, you would still act like the same old man I saw back in Japan."

L nodded in acknowledgement.

"I mean, I know you're very busy with all that detective work you've got in your hands, but, going straight to work the moment we set foot in this place?", Raito asked unbelievingly.

"And this place is so dark and stuffy, I can't believe you can work here all day—"

"If it's about that, then I'll ask Watari to check on the air-conditioning—"

"You don't even leave this place to eat, and this place is so messy. How many times do I have to tell you that the bed is for sleeping, not for stashing these sticky sweets you never could get enough of-"

"I understand that the bed has other purposes aside from stashing sweets, Raito-kun, but you're the one who wouldn't let me—"

"Because I don't want any of that, dumbass!", Raito shouted a little loudly, his face red up to the ears. "You really don't know what my problem is, do you? I mean, we've been here for weeks without even doing anything!"

"And I thought Raito-kun does not feel the same way", L said, surprisingly grateful at what the boy said. "But Raito-kun, we really wouldn't get anywhere if you keep on refusing me like that…"

"I don't mean about THAT, you horny bastard!", Raito's red face turned up a notch.

L bobbed his head to the side innocently.

"Then what does Raito-kun mean, exactly?"

"I mean, this is my first time in England, and yet the only thing I get to see is this dark, stuffy room! To think that I was looking forward to seeing the view of England, but then you couldn't even spare me a glance of it and just put me to sleep the moment we got off the plane. Am I only allowed to see this shithole?"

"Raito-kun should understand that it was only part of the standard procedures Watari insisted on doing. I wouldn't have allowed it if I was in charge."

"So when exactly would I be allowed to see the outside world?"

L typed something in his laptop and showed it to Raito.

"You can view all of England here", he offered.

"I don't want any of that!" Raito shouted again, clearly at the limit of his temper.

"That's enough!" Raito finally said after calming down a little. "I understand that you have to keep this headquarters of yours in absolute secret, but keeping me here under your watchful eye for almost a month is totally unacceptable! Any more of this and I would go crazy!"

The boy headed for the door, with more conviction than he had moments ago.

"Raito-kun, you can't…"

"I'll only stay within the premises, you don't have to worry", Raito said boldly. "Besides, you keep cameras all over the place, right? then I guess you wouldn't lose sight of me after all."

Raito opened the door firmly, and for the first time, fresh air surged and penetrated the room quickly, like it had wanted to do it for the longest time.

"I'll see you later", the boy said as he shut the door again, and the room was back to its dark, normal self. Only that L wasn't.

* * *

"I asked you more than I usually would, and you really have to thank me for gracing you with such a gesture seeing that you're an idiot, but you still wouldn't give me your name."

"And I've also told you equally that I don't give my name to strangers, especially disrespectful brats who just point their gun at someone they just met."

"You're the stranger here, pal. As far as I'm concerned, I only point my gun to suspicious people, and you lurking around the corridorsin the middle of the night is suspicious."

"And you actually holding a gun when you look like you're not even out of grade school is what, a normal thing around here?"

"I'm the one asking questions here!" the blond-haired boy rebutted back. "And I'll have you know that I'm in college-level classes already. Why are you holding back something so simple as your name?"

Raito answered with a cheeky face.

"I don't give my name to brats."

"I'm not a brat!"

"Your actions show otherwise."

"You shut up with that high and mighty act, right now or I'll…"

"Or what, exactly? Tell me on your mommy? Does she know you're into spying in the middle of the night and is she aware that you stole your daddy's gun from the closet?"

"Why you…" Mello looked like he was ready to strangle someone.

"Hey, hey", came from another boy, who was hiding in another corridor all this time. Unlike the first boy, Raito was actually a little relieved to see the second boy around, since the said boy actually prevented the pissed off blond one from strangling him.

"Friend of yours?"

"Shut up!"

"I gotta tell you that you really know how to choose your friends, but you really should let your weirdness slide down a notch" Raito continued, unfazed.

"Are those goggles part of the fashion statement you're trying to make?" he asked the blond boy's friend.

"These are actually my glasses, and I opted for goggles because I get involved in sports most of the time, but yeah, I'm pretty much responsible for the rest of the get-up." The boy answered him coolly, that even with the horrible striped shirt and torn-up vest, backed up with navy pants that go awfully wrong together, Raito couldn't follow up another insult, because this kid could honestly pull it off.

"I was planning to stick around until it gets interesting, but I see that either of you would end up dead if I don't intervene, so, you should consider this a favor", the boy explained. "I'm Matt, and this is Mello, by the way."

"I'm Raito."

Mello almost gagged at how simple the whole conversation went.

"See Mello, I told you not to go overboard with the whole interrogation thing. This would honestly save us a lot of bullets." Matt reprimanded. "Anyway, Raito-san, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Nothing really." The teen hesitated, "I was just getting some fresh air. Where exactly is this place?"

The goggle-faced boy smiled.

"If you don't know it, then I probably bet you're not allowed to know anyway."

Raito glared at him for that cheeky remark, but he was finally getting answers now, so he had to be patient.

"At least tell me what this place is"

"It's our turn to ask questions now, idiot!" Mello interrupted. "Just who the hell are you?"

"I already answered that, moron!"

"That's not what I wanted to hear!" the boy pressed on. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"Relax, Mello", Matt said, trying to calm the easily angered boy. "I'll handle this."

"You're in Whammy's House, and people are made to think that this is an orphanage, but honestly, this place is an institution for the highly gifted, and as you might know, L's headquarters." Matt explained. "So tell me Raito-san, aside from your being Japanese, what is your connection with L?"

"Hey, did you just…" Matt was so fluent that Raito didn't notice that the boy was actually talking in Japanese.

"I am not sure yet, but I did help him in his case while he was in Japan"

"You mean you're part of the team who finally put an end to that stupid murder spree?" Mello asked suddenly.

"Well, yeah. Sort of."

"And you actually got to work hands-on with L?"

"Of course."

Mello looked at him from head to foot.

"You look too old to be a candidate."

"What are you saying? A candidate for what?"

"Forget it, Mello. I don't think he's a candidate anyway."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing really. Listen, do you want to go around town? We were about to leave when we saw you, and you look like you're actually going that way."

"Well, yeah", Raito was impressed. "But I bet we're not allowed, and with the cameras all over the place, they would instantly get to our case."

"Relax, we do this all the time, and we know pretty much how not to get caught. Trust us."

From the look of the two boys, Raito didn't have a hard time getting convinced.

* * *

"So, let me guess, it's your first time on a motorcycle?", Mello asked smugly as he watched the older man throw up in the sidewalk. That earned him a death glare from the teen, but it wasn't as effective as Raito would have wanted, having just made himself a fool by screaming for the duration of the ride and throwing up later on.

"Shut up", Raito said weakly. "And I would have been fine if you've been driving that thing normally. You're worst than all those bikers I've seen on TV. It's like you're on some chase or something."

"What, you haven't been chased before?", Mello asked skeptically. "I wouldn't have thought. From that mug of yours I could swear you've been to police chases since you were ten."

Raito threw up some more.

"I'm not into that kind of thing."

"Oh? So what kind of things are you into?"

Raito glared at him again.

"I'll have you know that my father works in the police force."

"Eh, really?", Mello flashed his annoying smile. "Is it really more exciting having access to both sides of the coin?"

"I'm not a criminal!"

"Don't deny it." Mello snapped. "Besides, what's the use of lying to us when you've already been caught by L?"

"What gave you that idea?" Raito's annoyance toward the boy was increasing every second.

"Hey, you're the one who showed up unconscious and carried by L himself. He probably didn't want you to have an idea on where this place is." Mello said. "And if you're just a guest as you were implying, he wouldn't have stunned you in the first place. He never did it to Aiber or Wedy, and they've been criminals once."

"Even so, I'm not a criminal", Raito said defiantly. "I may have been a suspect once but I did work with him, and I've already proven my innocence."

"And yet he still doesn't trust you…"

"Just shut up, will you? You don't know anything…" Raito said forcefully, wishing that they would just move on to a different subject. He had enough about L to last a lifetime, and being stuck with the detective for months, L was the one thing he really didn't want to hear in his break. But this boy seemed head over heels with him.

"You don't happen to be jealous that I get to be with L all the time, do you?" Raito said suspiciously.

"Shut up! It's not like that, I…."

"Okay guys, break it up. We didn't go our way to this place just to fight." Matt can easily be an ambassador of peace with this one feat. "Besides Mello, Raito-san here is our guest. We should show him our hospitality."

"Tch. Yeah right." But Mello stopped any attempt of murdering the teen, and just followed Matt's lead.

"Where do you want to go, Raito-san?"

Raito's face lit up.

"Well, can we go to the London bridge?" he asked hopefully.

"What a wuss", Mello side commented. "And we already passed that place. You were just too busy screaming your ass off to notice."

"Then, how about the Big Ben tower?"

"Would you stop acting like a tourist already?" Mello shouted. "You're attracting unnecessary attention…"

"Hey, you're the one who…"

"That's it, I'll be the one in charge of where we go!" Mello said with finality.

"Just how did that come to you deciding for me?"

"Cause you're such a clueless idiot who'll get us in trouble if you mention stupid stuff like that. You don't have any idea how to have fun around here and I think, out of my own hospitality I should show you where the real fun is" Mello explained. "And besides, we're out of alcohol and cigarettes."

"Good point", Matt commented. "So where do you suggest we go?"

"We're going to the gay bar."

* * *

"Just why is going to the gay bar your idea of a fun night?", Raito said in his now usual annoyed tone.

"Shut up, clueless one, and just watch and learn." Mello simply said as he took another swig of whisky. "Come on, pretty boy, let's dance."

He took Matt's arm a little forcefully and took him to the dance floor. The goggle-eyed boy just shrugged and followed.

"Make yourself at home, Raito-san", he said as he proceeded to dance.

"How can I…"

But at that point, the two boys were already busy dancing in the center stage for them to notice a totally out of place Raito.

"Honestly…" Raito was about to leave when he noticed that an equally weird man was staring at him all this time.

"What are you staring at?", he snapped.

"No…I was just…" the man was really suspicious, but he didn't seem like he's connected to L or anything. "I mean I….it's the first time I saw a fellow Japanese in this club."

"Well, this would probably be my last time, so…"

"Hey wait, I…" the man reflexively held Raito's arm, trying to stop the boy from leaving. "I mean, I….how about we talk first? You came all the way here anyway…"

"This is not my idea of fun, thank you", the teen refused politely, taking his arm back from the man.

"S-so sorry…I…I mean, your friends are still there, right? Do you want to dance?" the guy was being persistent.

"I told you, no."

"Then how about a drink? It's on me…"

"Listen mister, I'm not really into these kinds of things…"

"Then why are you here?"

"I just got dragged in by those two idiots." He motioned to the two boys who, incidentally, were now looking like the stars of the entire gay club. "Excuse me, I'm leaving."

"Hey, wait…" the guy followed Raito along. "How about making the most of it now that we're here anyway? I'm Teru."

"And I already told you, I'm not interested…" Raito was about to give the man a piece of his mind when the loudspeaker got his attention.

"Attention Raito Yagami. Is Raito Yagami here? Please proceed to the back stage immediately. Raito Yagami…"

"That's my cue." Raito said hurriedly, panicking at the mention of his name in the loudspeaker. "I'm leaving."

"Wait, I…" the man continued pestering him, grabbing his arm once again.

"Let go!" Raito shouted, but another voice effectively froze him from any further action.

"Raito-kun"

Teru looked at the creepy-looking man from head to foot, with disgust. "Sorry man, but this guy's taken."

"I'm the one who should say that", L answered in equal disgust. "Let go of him or face dire consequences."

"Why should I…"

That was the last three words the man said before getting kicked unconscious by L. Raito just stared helplessly as he watched the scene unfold, too embarrassed to say anything.

"Raito-kun…" the detective quickly removed the distance between his pregnant teenager and held his hand.

"Let go of me!" Raito said loudly, attracting unnecessary attraction.

"Raito-kun, I you allowed to leave the room for a while, but this is out of the question. We are going home, and we'll talk after that."

"Shut up! It's not even my idea to…" he noticed that the two boys already disappeared from the scene. "It's all your fault! I just wanted to see a bit of England and…"

"Let us go, Raito-kun. We are making a scene"

"I don't care! You don't have the right to treat me like a criminal!"

"I never treated Raito-kun like a…"

"But you have to tranquilize me on the way to your place? You don't really trust me, don't you?"

L sighed, which is the first time he did in a long while.

"I was actually planning to take Raito-kun to the Big Ben tower, but he went ahead and disappeared from my sight."

"You…wha…"

L grabbed the boy's hand and forcefully led him to the infamous black car driven by Watari.

"We are going to talk at home."

L said this with finality that Raito didn't know what to say next.

"I'm sorry", the boy said before he got on the car, which took L by surprise. Normally, the boy's pride wouldn't allow him to apologize, even if it was his fault. He was so sure about that, being his prime suspect and all. L had to look at him from head to foot, just to make sure that he had the right teenager, but the boy looked really apologetic.

"We will talk about this later on, Raito-kun." L said as he shut the door and immediately signaled for Watari to drive.

* * *

"So children, we have a new friend today, and his name is Light Yagami. He will be staying with us for a while, so why don't we give him a little hug?"

"Woaahh…" was all Raito could say when he was swarmed by an army of five year olds.

This was L's idea of a punishment, anyway. Raito could only guess that he would be stuck here for a long time, given L's temperament, and he had nothing to say against the matter. The only thing he could do was look for anything bearable to do in the room. His eyes widened when he suddenly saw something totally unexpected.

"You!..." was all he can say before the teacher patted his back.

"Now Raito-kun, why don't you sit with your new friends Mello and Matt in the back."

Raito gave a fake smile and reluctantly trudged down to his designated seat.

This was absolutely L's idea of a punishment, he was sure of that.

**Chapter End**


	12. The Punishment

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** With boredom from being stuck for almost a month with L in his dark room finally getting the best of him, Raito finally got his wish and went outside. Unfortunately, the two people he first met were also the same two kids notorious for sneaking out at night, and took Raito to a gaybar. This, of course, made L very angry.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**

**The Punishment**

Light ended up seated in between the two troublemakers in the center back, like it was actually reserved for problem children, and he guessed that it really wasn't hard to conclude that he is one of the problem children here, or something. The thing is, Light is NOT a child anymore, and if anything, it was L who should be here anyway. He has more problems than all these children combined, as far as he is concerned. And while he is absolutely sure that he did not do anything wrong in the first place, he still had to accept than in this institution, L is boss, however unjust that may be, and there is just no way to get out of this mess. He just had to accept that he had to spend his mornings indefinitely with kids like these. Not to mention that these two were the epitome of deviant.

As soon as the car stopped at the gate of Whammy's House last night, L instantly grabbed Light's arm and dragged him back to their room, and threw him on the bed.

L looked like he was furious, pacing to and fro as he bit his thumb a little harshly than he usually did, but Light didn't care about that. He was also angry, and at point, he only cared about his anger, and not anyone else's. As such, he threw the detective a spiteful look.

"Raito-kun should know that I am very angry about what he did tonight." L started, trying to reserve his anger. "He has completely abused my trust in him, and has violated every rule I gave him the moment I allowed him a little freedom."

"I wasn't aware that we did have rules", Raito pointed out bitterly.

"I don't want to hear any excuses from you, Raito-kun", L snapped. "You are still a minor and therefore should be aware that you are not supposed to do things so recklessly."

Raito just glared at him.

"You have no idea how worried I was when I could not see you in the cameras anymore, and it was so much worse when Watari informed me of your current location. I think that Raito-kun is already aware that he is still underage and is therefore banned from drinking liquor, let alone be seen in any kind of club, and especially now that he is pregnant. And when I saw you, you where actually making the moves on someone."

"I didn't do any of that!"

"You could not deny physical evidence, Raito-kun." L said resolutely. "Souichiro-san would be so disappointed if he ever got word of this."

"Don't you get my father involved in this," Raito warned. "And you're not even listening to me. How can you even consider this as a 'talk'?"

"I've already seen everything with my eyes, Raito-kun. What more would you explain to me?"

"That you're an inconsiderate jerk, for one, and that you were the one who said that I can explain my side when we get home, but you're acting more like and idiot than a detective."

L sighed, and realized that he was indeed exaggerating things. But to his credit, this was actually his first time to panic like that, and he really didn't know that he could have such a reaction.

"I am sorry, Raito-kun. I didn't mean to vent my anger on you.", he said finally "I already investigated the matter. You met Mello and Matt, and they were the ones who took you to the gay club, but of course you were older than them, and the proper thing to do was to refuse them."

Raito pouted.

"They don't look as innocent as their age suggests them to be."

L smiled at Raito's childishness.

"But they are still children. They may act like an adult but they still have quirks to get over. That is why I still could not decide who I should pick to become my successor."

"You still have quirks." Raito pointed out.

"But I am L, and I am exempt from all of that screening."

"You still sound like an unfair jerk to me."

"And Raito-kun will still be taking his punishment for defying me."

Remembering last night, Raito was still angry at L. That man always considers himself to be right, but he truthfully is unfair.

"Yo, Raito-CHAN", the blonde boy finally said, purposely emphasizing the honorific and not directly looking at the teen, and instead just faced the teacher in front of him. "What'ya in for?"

"Violation of parole, driving without a license, underage drinking, voluntary participation in lewd and lascivious acts and attack of a police officer in duty."

"Tch," Mello spat bitterly. "Even in crimes you're still a wuss"

"So? I didn't even commit half of those crimes, L just assumed that I did. For all I know, you're the ones who sold me like sheep."

"We were supposed to bail you out, but L was faster. And even if we did get back earlier here, L still managed to pursue us, and we got pretty much the same sentence as you did, not to mention he confiscated all the stuff we acquired from the outside world, including our motorcycles (which we paid for with our own money), and cut us all of our connections to videogames, cigarettes and chocolates."

"Which you totally deserve…"

"Shut up!", Mello snapped. "Whatever it is, it's still your fault. We've been doing this for years and this is the first time we get caught. It's all thanks to you."

"Yeah, and I'm not the victim here just because of that?"

"You voluntary agreed to coming with us, you should have just sucked it up like a man and took responsibility instead of squealing us out."

"Hey, I didn't squeal anything to L. He was just so sure that I was with you given the place I got caught in. He probably knows a lot about you two, considering that he even described each of your personalities in detail."

"Really?", Mello asked, partially hiding his interest. "What did he say about me?"

Raito gave him a calculating look.

"He said that you're a chocolate-loving brat, and you would have been a good candidate if you haven't started going out with 'the bad crowd'" Raito said cockily. "But I really think that you would have ended up like that either way."

"Why you…"

"Will the two of you stop shouting at each other?" Matt, who was enduring the argument, finally had it, and he shouted it louder than usual, which made all the kids in the room look at him. Fortunately, the teacher left for a while to get his materials.

Raito was surprised at the sudden annoyance, and Mello merely looked at him mockingly, like he didn't know a basic fact.

"Matt is currently under cold turkey", Mello said in an almost whisper. "He may act calm, but that's only because he's too hooked on video games and cigarettes to even care about what everyone does."

Raito nodded in understanding, and turned to look at Matt again. Sure enough, the boy he first saw as the calm, cool, mature peacemaker looked more like a boy who just killed an entire village, and was about to repeat the same crime in just a minute. He looked scary, that Mello could be considered a saint, and when he glared at him, Raito quickly turned away for fear of losing his own life.

"As you can see, he's a mess now, and it's bound to get worse if we annoy him. It's all your fault anyway."

"I didn't say anything to L." Raito rebutted. "He just happened to study every video in the entire building, and concluded that the entire system had been hacked. The only person that had enough ability and guts to pull that stunt, according to him, happened to be Matt, and L saw the two of us talking before we mysteriously disappeared."

"Whatever", Mello dismissed, not even caring what the teen just said. "The bottom line is, if we hadn't met you, we wouldn't be enduring this month-long ban in the first place, and unless you find a way to alleviate our suffering, you would expect that the Matt you see here would only get worse."

The teacher returned then, looking like he ran a few miles to get there, and he may have been chased by a couple of dogs by the way he gasped for air.

"I'm so sorry to make you wait children. For today, we'll be painting each other's pictures!" he said enthusiastically.

A lively 'yay' of approval was heard throughout the room, and Raito could only look in wonder.

"He must really be paid extravagantly to act like that", Mello commented, looking amused at the simple ways the teacher makes to get the students happy.

"I'm sure of that", Raito agreed, for the first time, on Mello's comment. "Anyway, I bet you enjoyed that one back when you were still in this grade." Raito followed up with mockery.

Mello looked annoyed.

"I didn't attend any of these classes", he informed. "For your information, when I first got here, I was already on the high level, specialized classes."

Raito just grinned, which continued to annoy Mello.

"Matt mentioned that this actually is an institute for the highly gifted, but disguises itself as an orphanage. Kids like these complete the disguise that this is an orphanage."

"So there are also normal kids here?" Raito confirmed.

"Yeah. The normal kids are orphans found around these parts, and they attend normal classes such as this." Mello explained. "The exceptional children are either orphaned or voluntary given by their parents, and they compete to become the successor of L."

"Uhuh…"

"I ran away from home and tried joining the mafia, and Matt here actually used to work in the mafia, his dad was one of the leaders of it. L found us when he arrested the whole family, and took us to this place." Mello continued. "Growing up as a child in that environment, you couldn't blame Matt here for being hooked on cigarettes, but the video games part he learned here. He says it keeps him from being bored in this peaceful place. He used to join his father in fights, you know? And now the only violence he can witness is from playing video games. It's sad, really."

From hearing the family background, Raito began to doubt his first impressions on Matt as a peaceful, well-rounded, if not rebellious kid. His addiction to smoking and gaming might be the only reason for his nice personality.

"Then, how about you?" Raito inquired.

"I come from a highly religious family, but it's really not enough to keep us alive. My dad left us to look for another woman, and my mom got insane because of that. She tried to kill me just because I look like him, and I ran away to vent my anger on the streets. But in order to live around those parts, you really need to join one of the mafia families."

Raito wasn't so surprised about Mello's story.

"And, let me guess, you see L as a hero because he saved you from having a miserable life?"

"Hmph", the boy just said, and Raito knew he was right.

"Why the chocolates then?"

"It gives me pure sugar rush"

"There are all kinds of sweets that gives sugar rush just as effectively."

"I tend to stick to only one" the boy simply said.

"Oh"

"Are you paying attention there in the back?" the teacher called, and went to their direction.

"Here you go", he handed each of them a set of paint and a canvass. "Please paint a picture of each other, and you…"

"I'm not doing that kind of shit", Matt fought, and the teacher actually whimpered at the glare he was getting.

"W-well then", he turned his attention to Raito and Mello. "Raito-kun. How about you paint both Mello and Matt while Mello will paint Raito? That sounds good, right?"

The two of them just stared.

"All right, you may now begin." He clapped his hands and immediately left the room.

"I think that teacher is spending way too much time outside"

"And I think that that teacher is kind of stupid for trying to even approach Matt", Mello added. "What? This is an orphanage after all, it's usual for adults to pay as little attention to kids. What these brats are having is a luxury to most."

"But still, I think it's weird."

"It's only because you're used to having teachers praise you and everything. I bet you're one of those perfect kids in perfect families who never even had conflict with anything, and don't deny it." Mello said. "But then, how did you end up here?"

"I became too perfect" was Raito's simple answer as he began preparing the canvass. "Now don't move"

"You're actually going to do what that guy said? I'm telling you, you're a wuss." Mello began his painting too, and finished in less than a second. "There, this is what you call a work of art."

Raito looked at the canvass, and frowned at the totally inaccurate portrayal of himself. It was a simple kid's drawing of a face, with a hurried circle as the head, dots and lines for the face, and an awful mess of hair. He even added a stick figure for the body.

"I think it turned out nicely. But you look more of a wuss in real life."

Raito just frowned again, and continued painting, and it was really harder than he imagined. Mello just wouldn't stay still and Matt just sends him death glares every once in a while, which honestly creeps him out. When he finished, he was really pleased with himself. It looked true to life, far different from what Mello did earlier.

But when he handed it to the teacher, he was disappointed at the man's reaction.

"Good, Raito-kun", he said as he piled his work to the other more mediocre paintings the kids managed to pull off. This was probably the first time he missed his classes in Japan.

Mello just looked at him smugly.

"Wuss"

"Shut up"

This was also the first time Raito felt that he just wasted all his time and efforts on something so useless.

After a while, the teacher told them to go play outside, and Mello instantly pulled him outside.

"We're playing soccer, and we need another guy." Raito took it as Mello's version of inviting someone.

"How about Matt?" he asked, and Mello just looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Do we really need Matt to play?", he pointed to the boy, who looked more like hell as ever, and Raito was convinced that this was reason enough.

"I don't know how to play soccer."

"You don't have to. Just run around with us and you'll be fine"

Raito still didn't feel like playing soccer, but from the iron grip the boy has, he knew he really had no choice. The grip almost felt like L's only more aggressive, and less gentle.

Whammy's House was really big, and the playing field was something to boast about. It looked more like a place where championships were held, rather than a makeshift field for children to play on.

"Yo, Mello", said a kid who already has his soccer gear on. "Heard you were held back to preschool."

"Fuck off", Mello said threateningly, and if the boy had some smart comeback after that, he probably hated his life that much, because seriously, Mello looked like he was ready to kill at just one lame insult.

He tossed a pair of shoes and attire to Raito, and started to get dressed as well.

"This is Raito", he introduced to the team. "He'll be replacing Matt for a while, because you see, Matt's not feeling very well."

Raito observed the measly team of nine kids, half of them looked like, similarly to Raito, were forced to come here to make up the team, all of which listen to Mello's every word.

"Okay guys, listen up. The game plan is simple. Keep the ball rolling to our playing field and don't let anyone of them score. If you're in doubt, pass it to me. If anyone messes this up will guarantee themselves to get ass-kicked by the end of the game."

The boys nodded in unison. Raito watched amused at the scene.

"Are you ready yet?" Mello asked, and Raito just stood up, in complete soccer gear in response. "Good, now let's go."

The game in itself was as what Raito expected: an amateur game of kids who don't have the proper skills in soccer yet. Only, as the teen would have thought, Mello played like a professional, if not for the curse words he often uttered. By halftime, the game was as good as theirs. True to his word, Raito didn't even have to do anything to win.

"Run along, bitches!" Mello shouted tauntingly to the other team, who looked like they wouldn't make a comeback anytime soon, from the physical state they're in. Eventually, one of them messed up a kick, sending the ball flying out of bounds. One of the team members volunteered to get the ball back, but stopped dead in his tracks when the ball found its way back without him having to do anything.

Matt walked into the playing field holding the ball in this hand, in a worst state than ever, eyes looking murderous.

"Who the hell told you shitheads that you can play without me?"

The boy squeaked. And Matt kicked. The ball flew wildly in the field, and Raito really wished that he paid attention that time.

Raito opened his eyes only to see Mello's face looking back at him, and he felt his head already throbbing.

"What happened?", he said faintly.

"A soccer ball hit you squarely in the face, and you fainted. Then L ran quickly to the field and carried you to the infirmary. He must have seen everything. We won, anyway", he added, as if it was a piece of news Raito wanted to hear.

"Where is he?"

"He went back to his room" Mello said. "Seriously, what is it with you and L? My first impression was that you're a high profile criminal that L is tasked to look after, before the courts decide what to do with you, but I'm starting to think that I'm wrong."

"What made you conclude that?"

Mello shrugged.

"Just a guess, I mean, I can tell a lot by just looking at you. I've spent years studying how to profile people that I'm this good"

Raito unbelievably arrogant boy, and decided to let it pass.

"You could say that that's a near description of what we are." He said as he slumped back in his bed.

"He told everyone that the game is over after that, and I think this is the first time I've seen him run that fast. He only left when Watari called him", Mello added. "Anyway, I hope you're alright. Matt says sorry by the way."

The blonde boy left after that, leaving Raito alone, and that was the only time Raito realized that white walls really creep him out.

Massaging his head occasionally, he got out of the room and walked slowly on the hallway to his room. Only that, being new to the place, he really didn't know where he was. After wandering aimlessly for a few minutes, he just gave up walking and sat down on a corner. That was where L found him, almost asleep.

The detective sat next to him, and didn't say anything for a while.

"You'll get a cold if you sleep here, Raito-kun", he finally said.

Raito said nothing, and L became more worried at how blank Raito's face was.

"Let's go back to our room, Raito-kun", he said, determined.

The boy did not move an inch.

"Raito-kun, it is nearly afternoon, you need to rest", he persuaded.

Still no response.

L sighed.

"If Raito-kun does not go ahead and walk, I will be forced to carry him. Either way, Raito-kun will end up in our room, it only depends on how embarrassing it's going to be."

Raito pouted at that, face undoubtedly red, but nevertheless stood up and started walking. L followed soon after.

"Raito-kun is going the wrong way", L pointed out, which earned him a glare. L just smiled and took his hand, leading the way to the room.

The walk to the room was a very silent one, because L was keeping things to himself and Raito was just too embarrassed to say anything.

When L closed the door, Raito was still as quiet as ever, just staring back at the detective.

"Raito-kun…" L started, walking near the boy.

The boy said nothing, and just sat at the edge of the bed, looking at the floor. L also sat down and inspected the boy for any damages the day might have caused.

"Raito-kun has been defying me lately", he said as gently massaged the boy's head. "He is purposely getting himself in trouble. I am worried about his self-destructive tendency."

"You were the one who sent me back to pre-school!" Raito pointed out, getting away from the detective, who looked a little rejected. "And on top of that, you grouped me with those two brats who are suffering from withdrawal symptoms."

"I didn't think that Raito-kun would still stick with the same people who put him in trouble the first time."

"You should have considered that then", Raito concluded. "They are the only people there who are bearable to talk to."

L looked at the teen's irritated face and suddenly kissed him passionately, and the sudden act gave no time for Raito to react, as his body went limp, and by the time they broke the kiss, he was breathless. It took a full minute for Raito to recover, and when he did, the first thing he did was to punch the jerk who suddenly kissed him.

"Why did Raito-kun hit me?" L asked, more wide-eyed than usual, cupping his throbbing cheek.

"Why did you kiss me?" Raito asked back, controlling his anger, his patience rapidly falling apart.

"Raito-kun looked like he wanted to be kissed" was L's simple answer. "And this new rebellious side to him is turning me on. I must say, Raito-kun, if you continue playing hard to get, it will only make me want you even more"

The teen went red instantly, and hit L with a pillow as a reflex.

"Stop saying weird things", he said with clear embarrassment. "Jerk"

L gave one of his rare smiles, and leaned his head on Raito's shoulder. His hand reached out for the boy's hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sorry, Raito" L whispered to Raito's ear in a low voice. "But I'm nearing my limit now."

Raito gasped at L's voice, and turned into a deeper shade of red, not saying anything. L proceeded to kiss him gently, and the boy just froze there, not really doing anything to encourage the man, but also not doing anything to stop him either. But then, L did not go farther than kissing, choosing instead to kiss every part of the boy's body slowly, with Raito flinching and gasping every so often. It was really a new experience for the teen, and yet it felt more intimate and gentle, that he could not tell the detective to stop. After a while, he got used to the kisses and relaxed at L's touch.

...

"I realized", L said after the two of them were lying in bed after cuddling together for a long time, relaxed and sharing each other's warmth. "That even if Raito does a lot of things that make me angry, and question my authority, I still could not bring to punish him righteously. And even if I try to, it just makes an opposite effect since I am more worried about his safety than my pride getting hurt to prove a point."

L kissed the boy again, and embraced him possessively, as if the teen would be snatched away if he were not careful enough.

"You also have to understand that your sense of justice is sometimes crooked, and your means of punishment are merciless" Raito opposed as he tried to get away from the man's arms.

"I suppose Raito thinks that his sense of justice is righteous."

"Of course", Raito huffed, like a kid

L smiled at being able to see a childish Raito, and tightened his grip more.

"I honestly don't know what to do with Raito-kun"

L fell asleep in a proper bed for the first time that night.

* * *

"And now class, I would like you to introduce Mr. Light Yagami, who came straight from Japan to become my assistant. Please make Yagami-san at home while he is around", the professor introduced. "Would you like to say something, Mr. Yagami?"

The teen flashed his best smile, and introduced himself in the same flourish.

"Well then, why don't you do your first assignment, Mr. Yagami, and check the attendance?" the professor gave him the list of students clipped to a board, and Raito nodded. He announced the names flawlessly, like he was a native speaker of English.

But that all stopped when he reached the letter "M".

It was unbelievable, anyway, that he had to double check. But he was not mistaken. L really pulled the same stunt twice.

"You guys!" Raito spoke, trying to hide his annoyance.

"Seems like we'll be stuck again with each other", Mello said in the same tone Raito used. "Let's work hard together, Raito-_sensei_"

And Raito could not believe that he would easily be agitated by those simple sentences.

The teen could really feel that he would really be stuck here, and not in a good way, either.

End of Chapter

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A/N: I seriously also don't know how to punish Raito, if I was in L's shoes, I hope everyone would forgive me. The detective just loves the man so much that he couldn't resist...but, I hope I can give better justice on the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, anyway. Please review to show your appreciation!

On the other hand, since I'm given a rare opportunity of having a long free time, I'm planning to spend quality time with my fanfics. I'll probably finish my next chapter on my other fic, Right Hand Man, so be sure to check that out too. I also hope to start on the next chapter of this fic, if I still have time. Suggestions are welcome! (and also, corrections on typos would be appreciated). Bye for now.


	13. Otaku Date

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** L realizes that, despite whatever misdeed Raito did, he still couldn't find it in himself punish him, or else he would just worry himself to death. He decides to trust the boy for now and lift the punishment from the three misfits. L made Raito assistant professor so that he would still be able to learn despite not being in school (they have to wait for the next semester, unfortunately), but then, Raito discovers that he had to teach the class Matt and Mello is in...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

**Otaku Date**

When L told Raito that he would call off his punishment, there were two things that surprised him. The first was, as unbelievable as it may seem, Raito never expected that L would ever make him in an assistant professor. The boy may be aware that intellect-wise, he may be well above any other Tokyo University professor, but he really did not think that, given L's temperament, the detective would entrust the future of thirty or so children under his care. He knew himself, more than anyone else, as he pointed out to L a few days ago. And more than anything, he knew that he was just not cut out to become a professor.

His personality could not handle it. He used to be excited to teach children some stuff he knew, but his petty childhood dream was easily crushed when he experienced working part time in a preschool. He didn't even last a day there. L should have known better, whether he was aware of that past or not, if he were to call himself the best detective in the world.

Anyway, the detective actually got past this and still made him an assistant professor, so the least Raito could do is to be thankful, and handle the responsibility properly.

Thankfully, his new position as an assistant professor commanded some respect to all the students, Mello included. The blond could not force him to join his soccer team anymore, now that the teacher, Blake Tatcher, was keeping an eye on him. This was probably a part of L's idea. The day went on pretty smoothly, so to speak.

"You are truly exceptional, Mr. Yagami." The teacher beamed after the day is done. "You're more promising than what Roger implied, and he told me you're Japanese. It won't take long before you become a real professor."

"No, I'm really not that good. I just tried to explain what I know. I haven't even graduated college yet."

"Ah, but with that kind of brain, who needs college?" he continued to praise Raito.

"No, I just listened to what sensei was teaching and followed suit. I still have lots to learn" Raito argued.

The teacher merely smiled.

"Ah, I guess I've come face to face with the genuine Japanese humility", he said happily. "You don't need to downplay your abilities when it's overflowing like that."

He patted Raito on the back.

"Good luck, Raito-sensei"

"Th-thank you, sir", he said as he bowed to the professor, who just smiled and went home.

He would have said something entirely different if he knew what's going on in the professor's mind when he said that, but it was only the following morning that anyone discovered what was up.

"What do you mean he suddenly quit?"

* * *

At times like these, L couldn't help but feel that somehow, the world is harshly forcing him to face reality, no matter how surreal it may look. For one, he knew that that rather tired sigh coming from the usually obedient elderly signaled that the said man was already at the brink of his patience.

"Watari…" he started, trying to force a little concern in his voice, but failing miserably.

"Look L, I know that I usually don't meddle in any of your business, but I don't think this can probably last a little longer," Watari finally expressed his concerns for the first time since they left Japan. "Raito needs a doctor, and as far as I know, no one here fits that description. I've clearly pointed out to you that I am an inventor, and Roger is especially far from that. You can't expect a former sales manager to do a doctor's job satisfactorily. I'm even daring to say that Raito isn't having any proper medical attention at all."

"I think Roger is doing a decent job."

"The poor man only thinks that Raito's injuries are skin-deep, like most of the kids he treated before. He could not even fathom that there is something going on inside the boy, so his assurance only goes so far."

It was L's turn to sigh.

"As you've pointed out, Raito-kun's situation is extremely strange, which is why just going to a hospital wouldn't really have a positive effect on him. It might even lead him to a more difficult scenario if doctors find out of his abnormality. I want to protect Raito-kun as much as possible. And I still think that I'm giving him utmost care here."

"To go so far as to call it 'abnormality'…Raito would be devastated" Watari mumbled.

L turned away.

"Don't ever let Raito hear that." The older man warned. "Pregnancy is not something to take so lightly. You have to remember that, especially now, in his first trimester. He needs all the medical attention he can get."

"Watari-san", L said tiredly. "I am very aware of the situation and have been giving all the attention I can from the very beginning. I would still stress that it is not a good idea to show this to the public, as it is more dangerous. There are also many instances of pregnant women not having any medical attention at all, and still turning out fine. We only need to be careful."

Watari sighed again.

"I simply couldn't argue with you." He said. "I will let you have your way for now. But this will be the last time. If I here another incident like that, I would be forced to take Raito to a doctor."

"Thank you, Watari-san" L said, knowing that he only barely won the argument. He shouldn't let such accidents happen again, for Raito's sake.

He didn't make Raito an assistant professor solely out of a whim. That action was carefully thought of, as far as L was concerned.

For one, he knew that Raito needs something to focus on, or else he would end up sneaking out again, to be found in another infamous gay bar. The only thing anyone can think about is for the teen to participate at Whammy's, as was previously agreed upon by L and Souichiro, but then, there where bad influences to worry about, too, namely, Matt and Mello. L needed to put Raito on an edge, somehow, so that he can easily avoid peer pressure and not get hurt in another soccer game Mello forced him to join. Also, someone has to keep an eye on him other than L, which meant that he just couldn't let the boy have his way and be a professor. Raito being an assistant professor assures L that the professor would keep him from such scenarios, and assure L that someone other than him is taking care of the boy. No one can call him a careless partner after that.

If there was one thing L was guilty of, it was the fact that he didn't consider the professor's reaction to this act. It never crossed his mind that Raito, being the genius that he was, would convince the man that the teen can be able to handle ALL of his responsibilities, and just simply give the job to Raito, much less the professor's decision to suddenly quit in the middle of the day in favor of some overseas job he has been eyeing for a while now.

L had no choice but to announce that the winter break would be earlier and longer than usual, and that Whammy's house is in need of a replacement professor.

"Why can't you just give me the spot?" Raito argued, for the umpteenth time now. "It's only the first week of December and I know that I'm more than good enough to replace Tatcher-sensei. Why can't you trust me?"

"Trust is not the issue here, Raito-kun" L patiently explained as he put his mouth to his finger. "I have to remind Raito-kun that he is pregnant, and he can't even take care of himself as he is now."

"Why you... don't you dare imply that I have a disability or something! I can take care of myself pretty damn well, you know."

"I am certainly not treating Raito-kun as a disabled person. In fact, Raito-kun is so able that he seems to break every rule I impose on him. I simply can't just delegate this job to someone who still throws up unpredictably throughout the day."

Raito glared at him.

"And I forbid Raito-kun to involve himself with any of the children throughout the whole vacation, since he always finds himself in trouble whenever he's with them."

"What am I supposed to do then, stare at you?" Raito asked sarcastically.

"Raito-kun can spend his time in the library if he wishes to."

"That is way too boring, and I'll just throw up if I smell the scent of old books…"

"Raito-kun can involve himself in a hobby as long as he proposes it to me first and I deem it safe, and I will require Watari to keep an eye on you at all times, wherever you go."

"Then I guess that means you're only allowing me to go to the library", Raito said bitterly. "You don't think anything is safe"

"I am only concerned about Raito-kun's health" L simply said, and that did it.

Raito said nothing more as he grumbled silently, marching to the library, L watching him as he disappeared from the corner.

* * *

"What up, Raito-sensei?" Mello peaked from just above the table Raito was slouching at, that it looked like they were two kids sharing a secret with each other.

"Don't bother me."

"Hey, we used to be friends, sensei…"Mello teased. Raito just pouted, and turned away from the little troublemaker, at least that's what happens whenever he's with him. "And I'm not even gonna ask anything from you this time, since you've already done your part."

"What do you mean?", Raito said skeptically. "And I'm not even allowed to talk to you."

"Eh, you're grounded? I thought you were _in charge_" Mello emphasized the last few words to taunt him more. Raito looked like he was about to strangle someone.

"Shut up."

"Ah, but that's okay. You're the reason Jack-ass Tatcher left anyway, and whatever you did, I'm thankful. That guy's an asshole." Mello said, biting a large clump of chocolate.

"Hey, I thought you were banned from those." Raito observed.

Mello just smiled.

"All thanks to you, man" Mello patted him in the back, which irritated the pregnant teen. "That guy is L's enforcer by the way, and he's acting all cocky because of that, when he's more than a prick than any of us combined."

The blonde-haired boy offered him some chocolate, which Raito promptly refused.

"Now Matt's out of cold turkey, and he also might come and thank you later. He's just busy catching up to his addiction right now."

"I don't remember L lifting the ban just because Tatcher left."

"But it was enough for him to completely forget about it. Besides, that jerk just left without thinking , that we easily got back all our stuff that he got custody of." Mello explained. "And don't feel sorry for the guy and side with him just because L made you assistant professor. For all I know, he's gone to some gay bar or something."

"Why are you so angry at him, anyway?"

"Just because he was born", Mello cockily said. "And the fact that he keeps pretending that he's a goody-two shoes fella in front of L and Roger, when he uses the stash he confiscates from kids, and does a lot more swearing when no one is around."

"Somehow, I feel you've nurtured a growing hate with that guy."

"Yeah," Mello said. "But anyway, I don't know how you did it, but expect our thanks anytime soon."

"Whatever you do, please don't"

"Hey, don't act like a wuss now."

Mello shoved a tabloid in Raito's face.

"Here, I bet you'll find this a little less boring. Have a nice day, Raito-chan."

Raito would have shoved the paper back to the nice young brat, but he was practically out of energy from vomiting too much. Honestly, this was the longest break he had in a while.

"_Raito-kun can get a hobby if he wants."_

Remembering L's promise, an idea suddenly inspired him, making him hastily browse through the shabby looking material.

* * *

"What is this, Raito-kun?" L asked obliviously asked as he looked at the paper, which was now currently placed above his work files.

"Read below, smart-ass", Raito just said as he pointed to the advertisement he had highlighted before, but then, subtlety is not something that works on the detective.

"I've seen the advertisement, Raito-kun, but I've never paid attention to it. Why is Raito-kun interested in the 'Twilight Superheroes Club'?" L asked as he put his finger on his mouth yet again, bobbing his head up to look closer at Raito.

"You said you would allow me to get a hobby." Raito pointed out, but L remained curious. "Well, I looked for one, and I want to do this."

L raised an eyebrow.

"Raito-kun should not humor me this early in the morning. I still have a lot to…"

"Like what, porn?" Raito interrupted.

"I do not involve myself in such immature subjects…"

"Don't lie to me. I've seen you browse to some sexually offending sites when you thought I was asleep…" the teen argued again.

L sighed, slightly pink, as it was the only tinge of color his pale skin could afford.

"Fine. I look at pornographic material when I think no one is looking, but it is partly Raito-kun's fault. Any sexually healthy man would do the same if his partner continuously denies him of his rights."

"Rights?" the teen repeated scandalously, that L was slightly thankful that his room is sound-proofed. He could not afford any more rumors, especially of the domestic kind. "You're calling them rights now? What am I to you, your sex toy?"

"I did not call Raito-kun any of that!" L defended himself. Honestly, the boy is starting to get more emotional these days, and some of his conclusions jump on to a whole new level. "I was just saying that, as a man, I have my needs, and I am married to you but I am not getting any of it."

"So you're saying that you just married me for the sex? Am I just that to you? For your _needs_?"

Raito was quickly getting high pitched right now, that L really has to think of something soon, or else get bitch-nagged by an emotionally imbalanced teen. But then, looking at the angry boy was not getting him anywhere.

"You know what, I give up. Raito-kun can do whatever he wants as long as he takes Watari with him."

Raito beamed immediately, until he realized something important.

"…But Watari isn't even around here. You allowed him to take an early vacation with his family, right?"

L bobbed his head, like he was in deep thought.

"Well, then, too bad, Raito-kun. You'll just have to wait before Watari comes back." L dismissed as he turned back to his computer, but Raito didn't want any of that.

"L…", Raito started.

"Wha-"

L really should have seen it coming.

* * *

"So, basically, we'll just take you to this damn club activity, leave you there to do whatever we want and go pick you up again when it's done?" Mello clarified as he eyed Raito suspiciously.

"Yeah, it's a win-win situation. As long as Matt wears that camera at all times, and make sure he doesn't do anything that involves men or flirting with them."

"Well, you can be pretty sure that I won't let him even if you didn't tell me…"

"And why do I need to dye my hair?" Matt interrupted the two, who seemed to be in their own scheming worlds.

"I've already told you Matt. You're going to imitate Raito, so you better act your part. And you better hold off smoking or else L would notice."

"And why are we doing all this when L already agreed that we can accompany Raito to wherever the hell he wants?"

Mello looked at him seriously.

"Matt…do you really want to spend more than thirty minutes with this guy on a stupid club?"

Matt blinked.

"Well, you have a point there."

"Good. You can just behave like L would expect from his girlfriend while I take care of business."

"Hey, I'm not L's girlfriend!" Raito protested.

"You pretty much act like one, judging on how protective L seems to be on you. Either that or you're already his wife."

Raito pouted.

"That really wouldn't help your case." Mello commented. "Anyway, you two better switch clothes and let's get going already."

The two of them nodded and went on different stalls, with Raito taking quite a lot of time as he realized how complicated Matt's attire really was.

"Cmon, ladies!" Mello barked as the two hurried up and went to their motorbikes. As L instructed, Raito has to sit in the sidecar, which was attached to Mello's bike, and it slightly annoyed the blonde haired boy, seeing as he loved it more than anything else in the world, well expect for Matt, Raito thought.

"And drive carefully," Raito warned.

"Yeah, yeah, princess." Mello wore a helmet for the first time, and handed Raito one too. "Here, hurry up and let's get going."

The ride to the city was smooth, and Mello actually kept his word and drove carefully, since even with the brash attitude, he is still scared of L, and he didn't want to ruin this chance. Besides, he needs to get some plus points from the detective if he wanted to keep his footing as L's candidate for his successor, and he has a feeling that Raito was the key to all of this.

"There, we're already here. Are you sure you want to waste your time here when you can go anywhere anyway?"

"Of course not. I'm going on a date today, and L is actually lying when he said I can go anywhere."

Mello rolled his eyes.

"Well, good luck with whatever the hell you're doing."

The two headed off soon after, leaving Raito alone an empty alley.

Mello actually guessed everything right that it was scary. Raito really wanted to join the "Twilight Superheroes" club, as he originally proposed to L, but he didn't want the two misfits to be there, as he knew for sure that they would just make fun of him, but L kept insisting that he needed a chaperone, and Raito could only think of two boys who can agree to whatever he wanted. Besides, he didn't want L to watch whatever he does, as it creeps him out. It was a crazy idea, but it was the only thing that kept Raito into his comfort zone.

He memorized the exact location of the place, and even researched it on a satellite map, that he felt that he's been on this place for all of his life. However, he never thought that the place would be this shady. The meeting place was on a basement of a torn-down building, and on the door was a crumpled sheet of brown paper that looked like it was there for ages, since Raito could imagine that it was white when it was first placed there, but the hastily-written sign was there to stay. The door creaked when he opened it, and when he did, a dark, cobweb filled room welcomed him. At that point, Raito swore he would never count on tabloids ever again.

He was about to leave when he saw something moving, and a moment later, he realized that it was a man. The said man blinked when he saw him, but smiled soon after.

"So you got tricked too, huh?" he said in a friendly tone. Raito nodded.

"There really are people who go to any lengths to just waste people's time. I guess the lesson here is to not buy tabloids at all, don't you think?" he continued. Raito took a closer look at the man, as he approached him. He was wearing a white, neatly pressed shirt and dark pants, and his dark-rimmed glasses looked a little thick, considering that it glinted in the light. His black, bowl cut hair, combined with his small, lean figure made him completely geeky. The man raised his glasses to have a better view on Raito, and he offered a hand when he came closer to the boy.

"But I guess if we are on the same boat, then the announcement was successful on meeting up two geeks in the same place, huh?" he smiled again, and Raito just stared at the geeky-looking man. "I'm Eric Thomas. I actually went here to find other people who share the same interests as mine, since my work is so stressful. Tell me, are you also here for that reason?"

Raito fidgeted.

"No, actually, I came here to look for a date", Raito said truthfully, hiding a blush.

If anything, he was being honest here. This club would never spark any suspicion in L's mind, as the club would only attract geeks and nerds at most, in L's mind, Raito will never find guys of the sort to be attracting. But the truth is, those kinds of guys were actually Raito's type, considering he found L attractive, if not a prick.

The man laughed.

"Well, that's not what I exactly came here for, but I guess it's fine, I have nothing to do anyway. So what do you say, do you want to go on a date with me?"

Raito nodded faintly, and the man beamed, offering him a hand.

"May I know your name then?"

"I'm Raito Yagami." He said timidly as he gave his hand to the man, and let himself be led outside.

"So tell me, Raito, where do you want to go?"

* * *

L really didn't know what got into him to suddenly agree to Raito's terms. He felt that, sooner or later, the teen would be the one in charge in this household. Being aloof and insensitive might have worked on Watari, and perhaps the taskforce, but Raito's bouts of fury, strengthened with hormonal imbalance is the force to be reckoned with. Suddenly, he was forced to listen to constant nagging, or else face another endless session of another nagging—amidst an angry, screaming teenager who is more than willing to give L a piece of his mind. L was already having huge chunks of Raito's mind, anyway, and it was only the first month. He had no other choice but to suck it up and endure, and give up a couple of his principles. Married life is hard, and having Raito around is a constant reminder of just how hard it was.

It was a bad decision to let Watari go after all, especially when he promised that he won't cause another scandal with Raito. So really, L should have known what was coming to him, and just let Raito do his thing. The lecture he received from the teen still rang from his ears even now, and it made him want to cry.

But still, it was a bad decision to count on Mello and Matt to act as Raito's chaperone, and it made him so nervous that he resorted to nail biting. His fingers were already red from the constant chewing he did. That was when he suddenly realized that Raito in fact had video cameras on his person. This was the first time he ever realized it this day, that he felt that whenever it came to Raito, he could not find himself thinking that clearly.

He quickly looked for the remote control and viewed the large screen in front of him, hoping to see Raito following his orders for once, but that was just wishful thinking. He actually dropped the remote control this time.

* * *

Raito couldn't believe it was still possible. After all these years, this was the first time that he actually had a lot of fun, and it actually help him get the "P" word out of his mind for a long time. That meant a lot to him, considering that even his body seemed to harshly remind him of his condition.

This further reiterates that these kinds of people were actually his type. He didn't know if it was because they dared to be "unique" in some way, that a perfectionist like him found attractive. But even then, Eric was a lot sweeter than L, and he wasn't too aggressive. He was growing tired of that. And anyway, it seemed like Eric was a better speaker than L. At least he didn't have any weird speech patterns, plus, he knew exactly what a date entails. With L, it would take him more than a hundred attempts and he still won't take a hint.

"At least we know that we shouldn't trust whatever advertisement is posted on that tabloid, but then, we wouldn't have met if it was the case…" the man continued. "I'm just curious, are you a university student?"

Raito smiled consciously, realizing that the man was gazing at him so intently. They were on a coffee shop, and the waiter just took each of their orders.

"No, I'm actually home schooled." Raito said, a little embarrassed. "How about you?"

"I'm a doctor." He smiled.

"Really? I never thought a doctor would have this kind of interest." Raito commented.

"That's exactly the point on why I went there. Almost everyday, I have to act seriously and when I goof around, my seniors would guilt-trip me on how people's lives are important, and that I shouldn't mess around with it. It makes me crazy." He ruffled his hair a bit. "And I can't talk about sci-fi with any of them since they'll bombard it with logical questions."

Raito laughed.

"How about you? You look like you could easily get a date without the help of a club or anything. Why did you go there in the first place?"

"I'm actually not allowed to date." Raito simply said.

"Oh?" Eric quirked his eyes, that Raito was briefly reminded of L. "Man, I feel for you. Student life is so hard enough as it is, and then you're home schooled? I bet your parents force a strict schedule on you, that it almost feels like military school. I could see why you picked an innocent-looking club."

The waiter finally served their coffee, and Eric took a small sip into it.

"Well, if that's the case, then we really shouldn't expose ourselves in public, or else there might be someone who knows you and tells on you."

Raito nodded.

"What do you say, can we just go on a movie? There's this one I really like to see…"

"That's okay…" the boy answered, and the man's eyes glowed.

"Really?" he smiled.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

With every stunt Raito ever pulled on L ever since they came to England, this one was probably the craziest one ever, and yet L couldn't help but get hurt. For one, how could Raito even think that by just dyeing Matt's hair and changing his attire, they would look alike? It was either he was underestimating L's discriminating abilities, or it was just the hormones. Lately, L just kept blaming the hormones like it was every man's worst enemy, and he had no choice. Any other excuse would have hurt him in some way. In a way, blaming the hormones became L's safety blanket, and he just realized how that sucked.

He was so enraged by the whole stunt, that he didn't hesitate and just picked a motorbike and drove way above the speed limits, and that was pretty much a feat, considering that this was his first time actually riding one. He knew where Raito was supposed to go, just like any other fact or fiction, as long as it involved Raito, and he trusted his instinctive sense of direction, given that he spent most of his life in England, even if majority of it was spent in a rather dark room.

Seeing a dark, empty, cobweb filled room just confirmed his worst nightmare. He openly cursed, and punched a wall in frustration, before running back in his motorcycle to drive around aimlessly, with both eyes on the watch for one mischievous Japanese teenager.

He went to every club he knew existed in England, be it a social club like alcoholics anonymous or the shadiest known strip club downtown. He went to every social gathering that he knew was happening today, and on his last desperate attempt, he found himself on a very strange convention, consisting of black clad teenagers, who wear a darker style of makeup than Misa could ever achieve, and whose bodies look like they've gone through a rough beating, judging from the insane cuts all over their wrists. One of the larger teens approached him, who also had black circled eyes like L's, only more pronounced.

"So glad you could come", he said. "We've all been waiting for you, sir."

He was actually a polite boy, amidst all of the makeup and lack of cheer.

"Nice to meet you too", L greeted back. "But you've mistaken me for the wrong guy."

"Oh, is that so? I'm so sorry. God I'm so stupid, making such unforgivable mistakes. Now I'm messing up a perfectly fine day." He said, evidently looking mad at himself for some reason. "I hate myself. Damn it!"

He started banging his head on a nearby wall. L just stared at him. After a while, another similar-looking kid approached him with the same question, which L also politely answered.

"Really? But you look a lot like him, I thought you're just putting on a disguise to mingle with us commoners before you get on stage. I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me…"

Learning from the past suicidal boy, L knew he had to take action quickly.

"But people really mistake me for others, it's only natural, really. I don't hate you…"

"You sound like you do." The kid replied, in an overly sad face. Moments later, he was literally sobbing. L knew he had to get away from this kid when he saw a knife in his hands, but then, when the detective looked back, the said kid was actually using it on himself.

At this point L was certain that he would keep Raito at least a hundred feet away from these kids. He was hurriedly walking when someone touched his shoulder. Fortunately for that person, even when L was already shaken by these kids, he remained completely in control with himself and didn't just physically harass that said guy, since they actually do the abuse to themselves here, without L's effort anyway.

"I know you. You're the jerk from that gay club I went in the other night! I believe you owe me an apology."

L looked at the weirder man in front of him from head to foot. There's no doubt about it. This was the same man who tried to flirt with his Raito-kun the other night, the one where they caused an unnecessary scene just because this same man was forcing himself into _his _Raito-kun's pants.

"I don't think you do, on the contrary, I think you need another beating." L warned.

"Hey, hey. I'm not here to promote violence. I'm actually one of the speakers here, so please, keep your feet to yourself." Teru defended. "So how's Raito doing?"

"You don't need to know that", L spat.

"Ah, but I know. Why can't you just accept that the two of you aren't really for each other. Raito is practically screaming it at you."

L exposed his cuffed fist to the nerd.

"You better say everything you know within ten seconds or you'll find my fist in some part of you that you wouldn't like." L warned.

"Hey, no need to threaten me or anything, you did that more than enough. I'm just saying, your boyfriend is actually having a decent date for once, and he's enjoying it from the way Ihe smiled."

L didn't hesitate to cuff the impolite man.

"Where is he?"

* * *

"Ummm….Eric?" Raito asked softly.

The young man smiled encouragingly.

"Could it be that…the movie you wanted to see…was this?" he pointed weakly at the dark-looking poster, describing a horrific, gruesome movie that looked somewhat adapted from an original from Japan, and somehow, it looked all too familiar to Raito.

"Yeah, that's the one I want to watch. I can see why you're familiar with it, since it was on Japanese theaters several months ago." Eric said enthusiastically, until he saw Raito's clearly shaken face. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, I just…" Raito looked like he was recalling a terrible memory. "I watched the Japanese version of that months ago."

From the look in Raito's face, it appears that he clearly didn't want to watch it all over again.

"Ah…that's too bad. I guess we can pick another movie…"

However, the look on the other man's face looked even more pitiful than Raito's as if the teen just busted his dream or something, and as Raito noted, the other movies to choose from involved overly abused plotlines, not to mention chick flicks.

But anyway, it was true that Raito actually have watched this movie before, on a date, and it felt like it was only yesterday. It was not even his idea in the first place. On the contrary, it was also his date that suggested it, and it was his first date that involved a horror movie. Although, during that time, he was actually pretty sure the girl picked that movie since it was a chance to cling to Raito on every scary scene, he didn't foresee himself to be the one who was clinging to the girl all throughout the movie.

That was his first experience on watching a horror movie, as his Dad never allowed any of that at home, believing that it would just corrupt his children's imagination, and that his kids were just as brave, thank you very much, so Raito never knew what to expect.

As one would expect, that was the worst date Raito ever had in his entire life, and after all of that, he never made any attempts to contact the girl, and she didn't either. She was probably turned off since her image of the brave, handsome Raito was quickly destroyed when the said boy was actually crying in her shoulders, hoping that everything would just stop. Raito didn't care though, that girl was shallow in the first place, and he just said yes to pass the time.

Ever since then, Raito unconsciously formed a trauma from the whole experience. As far as he was concerned, that would be the first and the last horror movie he would ever watch on his whole life. He never realized that just months later, he would find himself face to face with the same movie all over again, and he was actually affected by it that his body was shaking uncontrollably.

But then, the look on the other man's face was enough to break Raito's heart, that it felt that he had to cheer him up somehow. Perhaps it was time to act like a man and face his fears. Besides, since he watched it before, he knew what to expect now, right?

"It's okay. I can watch it again, it 's fine…"

"Really?" the man's face lightened up with just that, that it was really a shame if anyone would break his heart again. "Wow, this is the first time anyone agreed with me before, this is great! Thank you, Raito, you're really the best."

Raito smiled weakly, as if he just agreed to have his entire teeth extracted.

But then, this hasty decision was something he would regret for the rest off his life, three times over. The movie was digitally re-mastered, making every horrible scene Raito witnessed before become at least three times scarier, that he was screaming within minutes, and his sobbing was actually heard all over the room.

His date, Eric, didn't enjoy the rest of the movie as well, since from the very beginning, he had to concentrate all of his efforts to reassure the teen that it was okay, that he was there, and it was all just a movie. The boy was practically all over him, and he had to endure the mean looks he kept getting from the other audience. The climax of the movie, where the woman protagonist gave birth to a kid who killed everyone, Raito actually screamed, vomited, and finally fainted. He had no choice but to take Raito outside then, without seeing the ending, amidst all of the annoyed looks he kept getting and the apologies he gave to the management.

That was when he suddenly got attacked.

"What are you doing to my Raito-kun?" an enraged-looking man, despite his pale face questioned, taking the teen away from him in one swift motion.

At long last, L finally found his Raito-kun. It wasn't easy, with Mikami around, he had to re-trace ever place the boy ever went to by asking all the locals, along with the nasty, annoying side comments from his emo friend. When he heard that there was some Asian kid freaking out in the movie theaters, he knew he had come to the right place.

"I am so sorry", Eric apologized. "I never knew that…"

"You should have!" L spat, preparing to leave with his rebellious teen. "Raito-kun is sick, and he isn't allowed to go outside in the first place. I hope that this is the last time I'll ever see you, or you'll regret it."

The violent detective turned to leave, when the man held him up.

"Hey, wait! Where are you taking him?"

"Home"

"But he needs medical attention. I saw the symptoms, this might be something serious."

"And what does that have to do with you?"

"Well…" he took something on his pocket, and gave it to L.

"I am a doctor, and I think that this is the least I can do."

L looked at the calling card suspiciously. Who would have thought that this geeky-looking man was actually a doctor from a very prestigious hospital, under a well-known team that had made miracles over the past years?

**Chapter End**


	14. The Aftermath

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** The Assistant Professor stint didn't work out when Blake Tatcher, the professor, decided to suddenly quit his job. Bored and unstable, Raito convinced L to allow him to go outside, and managed to find a geek for a date. However, the said geek turned out to like horror movies as well, which isn't Raito's cup of tea. A very worried L finds him soon after, and the boy's date turned out to be a doctor...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 13**

**The Aftermath**

L swore that if the doctor won't come out in the next fifteen seconds, he would have no choice but to break the door. He just couldn't take the suspense anymore, not to mention that he is getting annoyed with this glass-freak Mikami, along with the two misfits he caught along the way, in fact, the three of them could just sit there whimpering quietly, and L would still get annoyed either way. Fortunately for everyone, the door opened just in time, when L's faint hint of patience was slowly slipping away.

"Excuse me, but who among you is Mr. Yagami's ward?" the nurse asked politely.

"That would be me", L said strongly, ignoring the weird look he was getting from the nurse.

"Well sir, please come this way." The nurse led him inside. L hastily looked for Raito the very second he came in, and he saw him there, lying limply on the bed, being carefully watched over by the young doctor, who smiled at him cordially as soon as he saw the wary detective.

"I'm really sorry for the mess I caused earlier. It must be hard, it looked like you've searched everywhere for him."

"It's okay, I happened to find him in the first place I looked anyway." L acted coolly.

"Really? Thank goodness. I was feeling shameful that you had to get to the trouble to look for him. He's still in his rebellious stages, huh?"

L nodded.

"But it's only natural for teenagers to look for some sort of freedom, and it must be tougher on him, seeing that he is home schooled."

L would have said something on the contrary, but he let it slide for now, since there are more important things to face, and the doctor is really getting talkative to begin with. Come to think of it, if Raito went out on a date with this guy, could it possibly mean that the talkative men are Raito's type? L resisted the urge to beat this guy up. At this point, this doctor has technical advantage over him.

"I've already made a preliminary check-up on him, as a standard procedure, nothing special, I assure you." The doctor put his glasses on and checked on the boy's records. "I think that he fainted from over-anxiety, but we have to make sure that there is nothing else wrong with him, else the director will get mad if something goes wrong. He's trying to take this hospital to another level, after all. So let's see."

The doctor read through the results given by the nurse casually. A minute later, he was reading it again, this time, more carefully than the first.

"What is it, doctor?" L arched an eyebrow.

"Ummm…I guess there are some cases where this happens" the man scratched the back of his head as he wrote down something on his clipboard. However, his reaction grew even more suspicious as he went further down the records. "May I talk with you for a while in private?" he asked L hesitantly. L nodded and followed the doctor, returning the favor as he stared at the man all throughout their walk to his office.

The man sighed as he walked near his desk and checked a few of his medical books, just to be sure.

"Well, apparently, the results didn't run smoothly as I thought it would." He said humbly.

"How were the results, doctor?" L asked eagerly, that the man was obliged to comply. "it might be some error on our machines, but I made the nurse check twice. It seems that Raito-kun is having a major case of hormonal imbalance, I mean, given his age, this might lead to something worse."

He gave the charts for L to see, and examined it carefully.

"Looking from there, you could see that Raito's vitals are quite abnormal for a boy his age. And while we were doing the medical exam, he was throwing up all the time." The doctor went ahead and checked another book. "Breathing and heartbeat is fine, and there seems to be nothing wrong with the five senses, only that it's sharper than usual."

The doctor jotted down a few more notes on his clipboard.

"It would really help me if you have an idea on what Raito-kun is going through, or if not, perhaps you can tell me some noticeable changes and symptoms from him for the past month? It would really help me determine what is wrong with him." The doctor asked politely. "But I don't think it's something terminal. He will be fine, don't worry."

L put his thumb on his mouth. He knew that this was all but normal, considering Raito's situation, but should he tell the doctor about this secret? Doing so might lead to numerous consequences that L normally would avoid, but then, how long would this continue? Watari had been bugging him to get medical consultation ever since they got here, and the teen himself didn't help to alleviate his condition, as if he was purposely subjecting himself to dangerous activities.

Thinking about it, although it might need some work, with his power, he can silence almost everyone in this hospital, and treat Raito's case normally, though top secret. He has even the black market to help him whenever he needed, and there was no doubt that with his skills, it would all be too easy, so why is hesitating too much? And the doctor seemed genuinely concerned about Raito's health.

L sighed yet again and braced himself.

"The truth is, doctor…."

It took more than five minutes of uncomfortable silence to explain just what was happening in Raito's body, plus another five for the doctor to absorb it all in. when he finally got it, all the doctor could say was:

"WHAT?"

* * *

It took the doctor more than thirty minutes to calm down, and being with L didn't help his case, as whenever he acquired a semblance of calmness, a quick look at L's face would make him uneasy and would start to fret about the whole situation. Finally, the prolonged deep-breathing exercises, as suggested by the insomniac detective, made him calm down long enough to be able to give a decent conversation.

"B-but how is this even possible, I mean he is certainly a boy, isn't he?" the doctor asked again, face filled with disbelief.

"I'm afraid Raito-kun has contracted a most terrible disease. It might not be common, but surely you've heard it before, right?" L tried to convince the man that whatever Raito has was something perfectly normal.

Dr. Thomas breathed deeply, yet again and tried his best to calm down.

I've heard of some people possessing both female and male reproductive organs, but this is the first time I've ever seen it in real life." He said. "But still, even if that's the case, the symptoms would have been detected earlier, right?"

L really had to rely on his quick thinking to get out of this one.

"I'm afraid such characteristics, if there ever were any, lay dormant on Raito-kun until the day I….I mean, we tried to consummate our love." L tried his best to make this sound as normal as possible. "Neither of us expected to have a baby by our own. We were actually planning on adopting one, and we were equally surprised with what happened."

The doctor laughed nervously.

"Whoever discovered this, must be one hell of a doctor." He said nervously. "Unfortunately, I don't fall into that description. Hell, I'm still a newly-passed doctor finishing my residency here."

L stared at him uncomfortably.

"I mean, whatever I have to do, I have to consult my head doctor first, plus I'm aiming to be a pediatrician, I think what he needs now is an obstetrician." He played with his collar. "The best I can do is to check if his and the baby's condition is okay, after that, I can do pretty much nothing."

L put his thumb on his mouth.

"I think that this would help us more than enough. Given our situation, I would much prefer to keep this highly confidential, and since you've discovered his condition, I am afraid that I'll have to require you to sign contracts of secrecy, whether you like it or not. This matter is our top priority at the moment."

With the density of L's words, the man could only nod his head in compliance. L had to wait for a few more minutes for the doctor to give his own opinion in the matter.

"I can do that. It's my responsibility to keep my patient's records confidential after all. If you want, I can change Raito's medical records into something less suspicious. I think it would also be safer to change his gender, just on this case in order to avoid possible questions." He finally said. "I would be the one mainly in charge of Raito's health, but I might require some other doctors to check on him as well. These doctors, of course will be kept of any crucial information, only being led to believe that the patient is a normal pregnant female. Nothing more, nothing less."

L stared at him uncomfortably. It was rare for anyone to negotiate with him like this after he threatened them, so the act in itself surprised him. It made him, however, realize that this man is not just a spineless bastard after all.

"I would agree to that if you can assure that no leakage of information, whatsoever will happen, and if it does, you will be certain that you will regard it to be the biggest mistake of your life."

The doctor nodded firmly, with the idealistic dedication mostly exhibited by newly made doctors shining in his eyes. L supposed he could work with that. Besides, if all else fails, he can use his power to correct, or probably erase, anything he found offensive. Given that logic, he couldn't believe that he was afraid of doing this for the longest time. He really should take advantage of his status as being the most powerful man in the world, although, technically, Raito was almost always getting the upper hand in most of their arguments, but he wouldn't admit to that.

"Well then, moving on, I'm glad I didn't let him get exposed to X-rays." The doctor sighed in relief. L couldn't help but question if his decision was right all along.

* * *

L was so tired from all of the events that happened that day, that he managed to sleep through Raito's bitching, and considering just how much of a light sleeper he was, this meant a lot. Well, it could have gone worse.

Whether or not it was fortunate that Raito met a sci-fi enthusiast (read: geek) on another or his dating escapades, L did not even care. The important thing was, the said geek agreed to become Raito's doctor throughout the whole pregnancy, without telling anyone of their secrets. Him being a sci-fi maniac actually helped L convince him further, and did not question the absurdity of the case whatsoever. Although, the doctor might suspect L to be an alien, impregnating a human to carry on his species, but at this point, L didn't care. The man can think of anything weird, as long as Raito gets the medical attention neither of the Whammy staff can provide.

Seeing that Raito was just more than one month along, there were only a few signs that the teen was actually with child. But the doctor already informed L that these signs would grow frequent, especially the heightened senses and the already increasing trips to the bathroom.

After conducting a few more tests, Dr. Thomas listed some instructions on what the boy should do what vitamins to take and so forth. He handed the list to L and set up another schedule next week.

Then they still have business to sort out after the whole morning fiasco. For one thing, L would make sure that he would be coming along with Raito the next time he wanted to go anywhere, and that meant that the said boy would have less time outside, and L need not mention that he would be heavily monitored from now on. It actually has a dual purpose, anyway, since the doctor did tell L to closely monitor the teen, it didn't hurt to put on a little extra.

For some reason, L was having a bad feeling that this would only inspire Raito to become more rebellious, but that didn't matter, he only needed to show that he was in charge in this whole institution, and that was where Matt and Mello came into the picture.

Mello and Matt were a bunch of misfits that L was really looking forward to punish the moment they got home, but Raito got to him first and admitted that it was all of his fault this time, and neither of the two should be punished. Instead, he was willing to take responsibility for everything that had happened the whole day.

Now that brought L into a rather annoying dilemma. Although, this was the first time Raito actually grew up and took responsibility for his actions, and L could not explain in words just how happy he was for having such an improvement, this also entails that he has to drop all charges against the two boys.

L wouldn't have had a hard time forgiving the two if they hadn't pulled that stunt in the hospital while they were waiting for the check-ups to end. The poor detective had a lot in his hands to begin with; the least they can do was just sit still and behave themselves as L had instructed them to. But that was asking for too much with these boys. No, that was just too much to ask, and instead they went ahead and leaked some very confidential information—to none other than Mikami.

It appears that this social retard Mikami hasn't given up on Raito yet, and was actually waiting in the sidelines until he can get his chance to strike, well, amidst his equally weird hobby of scouring through the internet for any information about the boy, however trivial it may be. The man is clearly holding a "stalker/rapist" sign right above his forehead, and it was quite disturbing to imagine what goes inside his head. He really had to keep this man away from Raito, no question.

Anyway, when the whole check-up was over, Mikami didn't hesitate to present his ugly mug to none other than a dizzy-looking Raito, and he was seriously asking L to kick him in the face. So he did. Well, at least that was better than the boy puking at him right in the head. L actually did him a favor. That didn't faze the pervert man in the slightest, and went ahead and told L that he would be applying for a position in his institution. Obviously, L turned him down, but the man didn't want to give up and stated that he has the best credentials he could look for in a professor.

While the two boys swore that the only information they gave Mikami was that they were home-schooled, like Raito, there was no doubt that Mikami used this crucial piece of information to his advantage, not even minding that he knew that L was in charge. So that was a stupid move. But then, he took his stalking ability to the next level by following them home. How he did it, L could only shudder to think.

When all else failed, Mikami went for Roger and applied there. Fortunately, all applications have to go through L in the final stage, so the man should have seen it all from the beginning that his plan would fail. L had to work extra hard to hypnotize him into forgetting just exactly where this place is after all of that, and that practically consumed all of L's energy.

Considering all of that time and effort wasted just because of the carelessness of two boys, it was clearly justifiable for L to want to punish these kids, and it frustrates L to know that Raito was clearing them of all the charges, just like that, when, for all he knew, Mikami would be back one of these days for a vengeance. L would rather not think about any of that at the moment, and just shifted his mind to another highlight of this day.

At least, now he has an official doctor to monitor their baby, so Watari will finally stop nagging him into getting one. To think that it would be so easy too. He should have done this sooner. But now, he can breathe a little easier, and focus on what was really important, that is, Raito and their child's well being. With all of this going on in the detective's mind, it was no wonder why it exhausted his mind so much that he got into a deep sleep for the first time in his life.

**Chapter End**

A/N: ...that was...a pretty short chapter, I know. But really, I don't know what else to add in. And I guess I have to apologize for the last part, and the apparent lack of medical knowledge whatsoever consequently made this all the more hard for me. So finally, with the doctor in the picture, I guess one can assume that this is slowly becoming a legit mpreg fanfic. I'm hoping to put more content into the past few chapter, believe me, I tried.

Plot-wise, this chapter pretty much happens approximately on the first week of December, since the Yotsuba confrontation ended on October 28, and they got married some time in November. I think signs of pregnancy around these dates would still be subtle, but onwards, it would clearly get a lot worse, so expect a lot of hurling, I'll try my best to fit it all in.

And yeah, whew. I hope that now that everything's been settled, having a doctor and all, I would have and easier time on character development. I'll do my best.

Thank you for reading up to this far, and keeping up with my rant. If you like what you see, please tell me, if not, review anyway, so I know what to improve and such. Peace out!


	15. Music

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** Raito finally gets the medical attention he needed when he accidentally got a doctor for a date. Now another person knew Raito's secret, and Mikami discovers a secret too, and decided to apply as a professor in Whammy's but was declined due to L's power. Matt and Mello was spared from any punishment thanks to Light.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

* * *

**CHAPTER 14**

**Music**

For the time he's stayed in Whammy's House, this is the first time he ever questioned the Institution's logic. He wouldn't even notice it until he heard horrible singing while he was reading a book in the library, only to discover that the music room was situated right next to the library, and it, unlike L's room was not sound proof, and knowing Raito's character, you can already tell that horrible singing affects him more than anything else. When he finally couldn't bear the noise (which is approximately five minutes after it happened), he went to the source of it to give them a piece of his mind, only to find Roger, singing to little children on the piano.

"Oh, hi Raito. What's up?" the older man asked cluelessly.

"Just fine." The boy lied, hiding the book he was reading on his back. "What are you guys up to?"

"Oh, just nothing. I mean, it's already December first so we're starting to practice for our Christmas play." Roger said blissfully, and added when he saw a clueless looking face beaming at him, "Since you and L are here for the first time, we thought it would be extra special to make a musical on Christmas day."

The old man was laughing obliviously at Raito without even noticing that his skill at anything music-related sucks, and it is only right to conclude that the play would most definitely suck. Raito didn't pretty much care about the play, but to see the innocent faces of thirty or so young children, about to be corrupted by the bad singing of Roger, was something the boy could never ignore.

Who knows what would happen to their future after all of this ordeal? The image of thirty adults singing horribly is already a nightmare for Raito, but would that be all of the effects? They might even question their life and go to heavily paid therapy sessions or get into drugs and other equally unthinkable scenarios. Raito knew he had to put a stop to all of this, or at least, alleviate the possible effects this might bring to the children.

"Roger, is this your first time pulling off a musical?"

"Ah….", Roger looked a little nervous. "So it's really that obvious? Oh man."

Finally, he noticed that the said teen was holding a rather large book.

"Oh…were you reading back at the library? Sorry about that noise." He fumbled with his shirt. "I guess we need a music teacher after all…"

The disappointed look on the children's face was so distinct that even Raito would have a hard time to try and ignore it. Especially right now, the boy couldn't even explain this sudden sensitivity to this kind of thing. He used to be immune to even Sayu's crying, and being able to withstand that girl's episodes of tears meant a lot. In able to avert his attention to all the sad faces, he picked up the piece Roger selected, and examined it carefully.

"You're going to re-enact the Holy nativity?"

Roger nodded. It figures that this institution would be Catholic, what with Mello carrying a rosary and all.

"I wonder, do you know these pieces, Raito? Maybe you can help me…the kids would really appreciate it…"

"Uhmm…sorry, I'm agnostic." Raito said apologetically.

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that. But surely you must have heard about it from your parents, or your teachers…"

"My family are all Buddhists. And the education system in Japan doesn't really include religion on them."

Roger's face looked truly pathetic. Raito examined the piece thoroughly. It even included sheet music. No wonder the older man was trying to attempt to play the piano. Another look on the kids just made Raito guiltier than he ever had, knowing that their little band would break up just because Roger was already disheartened. Oh well, he was only idling in the library anyway.

"But I can play the piano, and I've been a lead singer in most of my school musicals before. Maybe I can help."

It only took a chorus of 'Yay's and the glinting happy faces of the children for Raito to know that he made the right choice.

With that he began to sight-read the first selection of song listed in the piece, by Bach. And the children started to sing happily with Raito occasionally coaching them the right tune for it. All was going well until a loud bang from the door came along, revealing the infamous boys, yet again, Mello and Matt.

"Would you people shut up? We're in the library and we can't concentrate because your damn music's too loud! How can we study if you continue making this damn noise?"

"Really, Mello, we can just hang out in the garden or something..."

"That's not the point here, Matt. There are a lot of older children studying in the library and I'm just giving them all a favor by doing this. Don't make noise!"

A child already started crying just by seeing Mello's face.

"And stop crying!"

"Mello! Stop tormenting the children, and this is the music room so we're pretty much allowed to play music." Roger scolded. "And stop swearing."

"We have a music room?" Matt asked, genuinely surprised.

"That's not the point here, Matt. If they wanted to make noise here, they should sound proof this room, and why the hell is it next to the library anyway?"

"…."

It seemed like even Roger didn't have the answer to that, and everyone in the room was silently waiting for his answer.

"Well, if I remember correctly, this is already our substitute music room. Our original one is actually on the other wing…"

"So why don't you play there?" Mello asked impatiently.

"Unfortunately, we can't" Roger simply answered.

"Why not?"

"Because…"

* * *

"And so we're cleaning this shack, why?" Mello asked as he faced a dark, cobweb covered room that looked like it was not opened for years, holding a broom.

"Stop bitching about it." Raito irritatingly answered. "You were the one who wanted silence in the first place, so it's just right that you help us."

Fair or not, Raito's has a point, or at least, it's the only idea that would be to everyone's advantage. It seemed that this old music room, which, conveniently, was on the room right next to L's room, became L's makeshift study room when he first came to Whammy's when he was eight. Seeing that no one bothered to use it, and also due to L's insistent need for privacy, it seemed like the perfect place for Watari to try and develop the then boy's genius mind.

Whatever happened must have gotten results, though, seeing how sharp L's deductive ability became, despite the annoying quirky habits he nourished not to mention his already gone bad to worse xenophobic tendencies, it must have made Watari satisfied, although Raito would still choose his father's raising methods any day.

Anyway, with L becoming a full-fledged detective and all, this room was soon forgotten, accumulating dust from all of the unreturned books L read during his stay at Whammy's. But right now, things will finally start to change around here.

"Hurry up and start cleaning!" Raito commanded.

"Why don't you go help us too, bitch!" Mello spat, only to be lectured by Roger yet again. "I already said I'm sorry, god…."

And the angry look from Roger effectively shut the blonde up.

"But man, there's got to be tons of books here…" Matt commented. "I can tell this place used to be huge."

"I guess you're right." Roger commented. "In fact, this is probably the answer most of you children had been asking from me from years ago, about the book catalogues with no corresponding book to support it."

He picked up one random book lying loosely on the floor.

"Ah, this book had been asked from me by at least a hundred children in the past fifteen years." Roger dusted it and went away from the room reminiscing his somewhat memorable past and leaving the kids to clean the room themselves. So much for having an adult around. The man seems to prioritize his 'alone time' more than the kids' welfare to begin with.

"All right, start working."

Raito, being the eldest of the group, knew he had to take charge somehow, and started leading everyone in what they're in charge of doing. He was the one who even had the idea to involve the older children, who spend most of their time in the library, to help too, since they would also benefit from it once the music room was successfully relocated. Being the assistant professor, they couldn't complain to Raito anyway, or else something bad might happen, like, in Mello's case, his possible disqualification from being L's heir. For that, even Mello would agree to wear an apron and dusters.

The teenager was doing his job quite well, that it took less than an hour for the children to return the books to the library, another hour for them to help Roger catalogue it, then another hour to make the now spacey room spotless. For that, no one can really question Raito's leadership abilities.

"Wow", some of the boys commented as they inspected the room. It was a rather large room, which could very well be compared to the school's library in size. Some of the children, who were a little tired and chose to sit on some place in the room, could do nothing more but to admire the whole place.

According to Roger, Watari purposely sound proofed this as his private music room back when Whammy House was still starting, but as L came, it became a study room for the most important detective in the world. The room was complete with musical instruments, from the string to the percussion section, which made the children a happier. Now if only they have a music teacher right now.

"We can ask Watari" Matt suggested. "I mean, he owns this room, maybe he'll agree to teach what he knows."

"He might", Raito answered. "But right now, he's on a long vacation with his family. I doubt he'll make it in time for the play."

"Well, why don't you do it then?" Mello demanded.

"I don't think I can teach music to kids, since I only learned music in elementary school for two years, and I saw that the pieces Roger picked were all Bach, and I don't really think I'm that good."

"Oh, come on." Mello looked like he was interested in joining the play instead, seeing how worked up he is. "They're just kids, how hard could it be?"

Raito sighed at the blonde boy's clueless-ness.

"You really have no idea, haven't you?"

Raito gestured to the couple of kids who already started running around the hall, which, after regaining some of their stamina, looked like they could last all afternoon doing that. On another corner, some of the kids were crying for countless reasons, but mostly because the running kids bumped into them, and now they have a bruise somewhere in their person. The room being soundproof just enhanced the level of noise for Mello to hear, that his face alone was enough for Raito to know that he got the point.

"Will you kids SHUT UP! And STAY PUT! Or else I'm gonna kick all of your asses and I swear, no one would like it!"

Mello looked at the stunned crowd, who instantly froze when he screamed, and was about to congratulate himself for a job well done when a few minutes later, a kid broke down to a new fit of tears and everyone, even the previously running kids, followed suit. Soon, the whole room was overpowered by a crying choral.

"You just made it worse!" Raito exclaimed as he shot an annoyed look.

He really didn't have to do it at this point, as the blonde was already freaking out at the mess he made, covering his ears in panic.

"Well, then do something!" he spat back at Raito.

The older boy sighed, observing the situation. It seemed like there was nothing short of a miracle to stop these kids from crying, now that fear was added to the equation. But then, an idea struck him, and he thought that it might work. If not, then it was still a good practice anyway. He faced the piano again and started playing.

He let his memory move his fingers to the first tune he ever practiced on. It was back when he was still five years old, when he joined a piano class from a teacher who used to live on their neighborhood. This same music was the one he heard when he was going home with Sayu one hot summer afternoon, and made him want to play piano in the first place.

Unfortunately, the said piano teacher left after a few years to go abroad, and Raito just taught himself piano from then on. With no piano in the house, he had to ask the teacher's permission to use the one they have at school, but eventually, he stopped and just played tennis instead.

But still, even now, as he played this piece out of memory, the music still draws him and strengthens his attraction to the piano, and makes him remember the happy moments when he learned this piece with his teacher. This music always made him calm. Hopefully, these children will also be attracted to the music.

He was actually enjoying himself right now, as he let his fingers move to the melody, with no explanation whatsoever. His body still remembers, as well as his soul, that he used to be content by just knowing how to play this song. Soon, he forgot why he was playing in the first place, and just let himself be drawn to the music, as always. This was pure happiness.

When he finally stopped, he found the children, who already stopped crying long ago, looking at him attentively with great awe and admiration, as if they also discovered the happiness Raito had in his youth, and they applauded him.

"That was cool, Raito-niichan!"

"Yeah! Play some more!"

"Can you teach us how to play like that?"

Raito was barraged with similar questions that he felt like he was an actor on a press interview. Thankfully, Mello helped him this time.

"Settle down, kids! He'll teach you as long as you study the songs Roger gave you for the play and practice hard at it. Now I believe it's almost dinnertime so you kids should just show up early tomorrow and practice by yourselves."

At times like this Mello always shows how much of a true leader he really is. Raito was a little thankful that he finally got his break. He was starting to get tired.

"Just so you know, if we need to have a good play as Roger wanted, we also need older kids." Raito reminded him.

Mello grabbed a chocolate bar and hounded on it, showing that he was just as stressed as Raito.

"Well, I can help you on controlling these children, but I must tell you that I can't sing, and I'd rather shoot you than do it."

"But we can help you with props and everything else." Matt added.

"Fine, that's more than enough." Raito smiled. "Do you know anyone who can play the piano around here?"

The two boys looked at each other and shrugged.

"I don't know anyone here. Heck, we even got surprised to discover that we actually have a music room. Most kids here focus on academics." Mello said. "You can play, right?"

"A little. I'm not so confident in my piano playing." He hesitated.

"Well, do your part and study for now. You're the only one I know who can actually play it."

Raito nodded, and read the music sheets again, practicing slowly. He didn't even realize that the two boys had already taken their leave, and even that night has finally come, being too consumed in the music for the first time in years. He was also like this when he was a child. He only stopped when someone knocked at the door, who, apparently was L.

"Raito-kun should eat first." L said, as he approached the teen. "He has been playing for almost five hours straight now, and even cleaned this room before all of that."

Raito looked at L as he approached him.

"How long have you been there?" he asked warily.

"From the moment you entered this room." L replied patiently. "I saw you as you enter with the children and I was watching you from outside. When Mello left, he didn't close the door and I entered, but you didn't even notice him leave, I think."

L looked at the sheet music Raito was studying.

"I liked Raito-kun's Fantasie Impromptu." L commended, as he browsed through the pages. "I imagine that he would be great pianist if given the chance."

Raito hit him with a book.

"Shut up", he said, red all over. "You're really a stalker, aren't you? And no, I'm really not good at piano. That's just the only piece I know, so I'm finding it hard to study all these pieces."

"I think Raito-kun made it a beautiful piece. Chopin must be very happy if he hears it." He said, getting closer to Raito. "But he needs to eat first. He's been through a lot today so he needs to replenish his energy."

L offered his hand which Raito hesitantly took, and let himself be led by the detective to the kitchen, where his dinner was waiting for him.

"I saved this for you, seeing that you were preoccupied with practicing." L said.

It was only then that Raito realized that he was hungry, and didn't hesitate to eat. L watched him all along.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Raito asked.

"I've already eaten."

"But surely, sweets don't count as food." Raito commented, already familiar to the detective's diet. "You know it's not healthy."

"Sugar increases my deduction ability to forty percent."

"Still, you need to eat healthy food or else you'll suffer from malnutrition." Raito rebutted. "Here."

He ushered him a seat.

"Why don't you eat with me?" the boy asked, to which L hesitated. "Please…"

Seeing that L couldn't really deny any of Raito's requests, he took the seat and tried to eat how Raito wants him to, if only in small portions.

"So, is it that bad?" Raito asked.

"It's okay." L answered. "But it's a bit dull."

"Sometimes you have to experience dullness in order to appreciate what you like more."

"But I am already content with sugar, Raito-kun. I don't think I need to reassure myself of that."

Raito frowned.

"I am worried about your health", he truthfully said. "And I want you to enjoy the things I like too."

It was the first time Raito actually opened to L like that, and it surprised the detective that he was actually thinking about him. He really needed to take this boy more seriously and not treat him like a child.

"And I really want to eat together with you. It is so lonely to eat alone."

They ate in silence after that, with neither of them knowing exactly what to say with each other.

"I also want to eat with Raito-kun everyday." L finally admitted. If there is one person he would allow to show him his weakness, it would definitely be him. "And I want to hear his music more often."

Raito still said nothing.

"I also want to play with Raito-kun together."

…which is why, shortly after dinner, Raito found himself in the music room once again, with L, as the latter was holding a violin. Together, they played Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, and honestly, Raito felt that they were playing a different song altogether. But he didn't care nonetheless. He liked it.

"I never thought that I would enjoy playing piano again." L said as he played a song for Raito, who was now sitting beside him. "I was actually the reason why this place doesn't have a music room in the first place."

Raito looked at him questioningly.

"My parents forced me to learn music at such a young age, threatening me in order to learn difficult pieces. I never had fun with it." L explained. "I had Watari remove this room when I got here, since it just brings bad memories, but he loved his music so much that he just transferred it. Although, placing it next to the library was pretty ineffective, and no one played after that."

Raito just leaned on L's shoulder as the detective continued to play, fatigue starting to bear down on him.

"Raito-kun is really good with children" he complimented, to which the boy did not answer. The detective smiled at such innocent reaction. "And he is such an effective leader. I must learn from him."

L continued playing like this, enjoying as he played the songs from his memory. Somehow, he couldn't even remember why he despised playing in the first place. He would have drowned himself in music even if his parents didn't tell him to, so they were unnecessarily harsh.

"L?" Raito finally called the detective.

"What is it, Raito-kun?"

"I know that it is a little late but….Happy Birthday."

L's eyes widened.

"How did Raito-kun know about this?"

The boy handed him a small, battered old journal, which were a little torn up in some pages, but was still clearly intact. It was his diary from when he was still a child, when he still hasn't met Watari. He used to write on it everyday, mostly because he couldn't tell anyone of his secrets, his fears. He was still not very good at hiding his emotions back then.

"I found it in hidden in one of the stack of books when we were cleaning." Raito answered. "I read your last entry. You said that it was your birthday and you are leaving your family."

Raito looked at him as if he understood just what the detective felt at that time, and he probably had, having experienced the same just a few months before.

"And we just missed our own month-anniversary, which was last week", Raito remembered again, jumping from his seat from the realization.

L smiled. He might have been the heartless mass murderer when he had the notebook, but right now, he could easily be considered as the sweetest partner anyone can ever have.

"You are right." L said happily, leaning forward to kiss Raito in the cheek.

"Happy month-anniversary to us, and thank you for remembering my birthday."

Raito just stared at him, blushing furiously. Suddenly, the most unexpected thing happened, as the boy surprisingly took the initiative and kissed the detective on the lips, which lasted for a few uncomfortable minutes until L decided to take charge and kissed him deeply, and lasted for another few minutes. When they broke up, L resisted the urge to give any comment as the boy was already blushing in a deeper shade of red, and just smiled at him reassuringly, as he started playing another piece, which happened to be a sonata. More specifically, Beethoven's "Spring".

The boy also smiled upon recognizing the piece, and resumed his original position on L's shoulder. Soon, exhaustion finally came over as he fell asleep on the detective's shoulder. L watched him until he finished playing, sleeping peacefully beside him.

"Raito-kun is good with children because he is still a child himself." L said to himself. "I want to protect him all the more so that he would remain innocent."

He pocketed the small journal carefully as he carried Raito back to their room, where he continued to watch him sleep like an angel, until he fell asleep himself too.

CHAPTER END

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A/N: OMG, I made it a little too cheesy on the end...because I really just wanted L and Light interaction at some point...it's probably the music that caused them to be open with one another. I mean, I do when I hear classical music. It's just so relaxing. I actually enjoyed writing this chapter, it made me want to listen to classical music again. I hope it didn't turn as horrible as I feared. Review please!


	16. First Date

**Nine Months Due**

By: Kaytee Kudo

**Category:** Death Note

**Genre:** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

**Other Notes:** Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

**Quick Recap from Previous Chapter:** Due to another boring day at Whammy's Raito volunteers to lead the children's school play, which made him remember some good memories about the piano, even discovering the hidden music room near L's room. L even managed to play songs with him...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

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* * *

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**CHAPTER 15**

**First Date**

L and Light were driving on a hot summer day. On that statement alone, one would easily assume that it was L was driving, and since Watari is still on vacation, this only meant that they were driving the classy black Mercedes, which was technically Watari's car, and if anything, L wasn't used on driving Watari's car.

"You know, the speed of this car is being wasted on you." Raito commented just when another car easily passed them, and it didn't help his case at all when they both noted that the said car's driver who passed them just now were an elderly couple.

"I am just being very careful for Raito's safety." L said, eyes still glued to the road.

"Well, I think this kind of speed would make us closer to accidents than anything else" Raito pointed out as another truck honked them to move faster. "I finally get why a lot of people have road rage…"

"I am actually driving within the area's speed limits, Raito-kun." L continued. "It's just that everyone else are violating it."

"I highly doubt it." The teen slumped in his seat, clearly bored. "Where are we going anyway?"

"As I mentioned earlier, it is a surprise. I wish Raito-kun would be more patient" L replied. "I promise that he wouldn't be disappointed."

"Well, it better be."

He resolved his boredom by just playing with his hair, eventually falling asleep in the passenger seat.

L made sure that he was parked securely before gently shaking the boy to wake up.

"Raito-kun, we have already arrived."

The boy shifted a little, until he finally woke up, rubbing his eyes.

"Where are we?" he faintly asked as L helped him get out of the car. He rubbed his eyes again to see clearly. From the giant Fferris wheel in the distance, it looked like they were on some theme park or something.

"The Company here gave us exclusive tickets for the opening of this park" L simply said. "Watari actually invested some of my money in stocks, so apparently, I am one of the major stockholders of this place."

"What is this place called?" Raito asked again, to which L only shrugged.

He didn't want to mention an overly stupid name to anyone, especially when saying it would make him sound stupid, especially when it involved Raito. The boy would find it out for himself anyway. He walked quickly toward the entrance, with Raito, realizing he won't get any answers from the man, following him quickly behind.

"Hey, wait up!" Raito shouted when the detective was on a clear distance away from him. L stopped as soon as he heard his voice, and waited for him before the entrance, a look of interest evidently shown on his face. Raito pouted, a little red and sweaty from trying to catch up to the detective.

"Jerk", he said spitefully.

L grinned uncharacteristically, which further pissed the boy off. But it only made L laugh at his childishness, until he noticed that the boy looked like he was about to cry.

"I'm sorry, Raito-kun. I could not help myself" L kissed him on the cheek. "You just look so cute when you're pissed off."

Raito instantly turned red, holding his cheek, and turning away from the man. It was clear that the detective was enjoying himself today, at Raito's expense, and the said boy was not so happy about it.

"Stop making fun of me!" Raito pouted, which made him look more adorable, in L's opinion. "You never take me seriously, do you?"

L ruffled the boy's hair.

"I take Raito-kun very seriously", he smiled. "In fact, I think that he is the only one that I will take seriously in my lifetime."

He held Raito's chin so that they were looking at each other face to face.

"This is my first date with Raito-kun, and it might even be a double celebration considering our month-anniversary just passed us." L told Raito. "I am just very happy that I could get to spend a day alone with Raito-kun."

Raito turned away from him, hiding his furiously blushing face, but L just turned it back and kissed him again.

"I believe Raito-kun is already hungry, since he didn't eat breakfast yet" L offered his hand to the boy. "Shall we go?"

The boy hesitantly took the detective's hand and let himself be led inside. It was a perfectly fine day, but L could definitely tell that he was really not suited outdoors. The sun was not even in its peak, and yet his pale face was already turning red, and he was sweating all over, so he intentionally increased his pace and quickly got in the nearest café.

L ordered for the both of them, and they ate in silence, with L looking giddier than usual, to the point of uncharacteristic, glancing at Raito every once in a while. Raito more than wanted to strike a conversation just to get rid of the awkwardness around him. Thankfully, L also noticed the boy's uneasiness and decided to save the boy from his suffering.

"Here, Raito-kun", he handed him a pamphlet. "That's the map of the whole park, it even lists all of the attractions we can try out. Why don't you go check it out and tell me where we should go."

He could see the boy sigh in relief as he took the map from L and browsed it over, trying his best to look cool and collected.

"Well, why don't we check that souvenir shop over there?" Raito asked, pointing to its direction.

L smiled. It was just like Raito to think of shopping first, before anything else. His personality was proudly showing it. The one thing he didn't expect was for the said boy to actually buy him something.

"Here", the boy said as he handed the detective a cap. L noticed that Raito also bought another one, with the exact same design, for himself. "It's a little sunny today, that you're getting freckles all over your face."

L hid his blush. So Raito actually noticed him after all.

"And the matching cap will help us find each other in the crowd." The boy explained further.

L almost cried at finally receiving some act of kindness from the boy.

"Thank you for your concern, Raito-kun", he said breathlessly.

Raito shrugged.

"I used your credit card with that."

He showed L the card he gave to the boy weeks ago, in case of emergency.

"Nonetheless, I appreciate Raito-kun's kindness."

The boy pretended not to hear that and chose to look at the map, but at this point, L already knew that such action from the boy was proof that he was embarrassed. The detective decided to ignore it and instead went closer to Raito.

"Where do you want to ride first?" he whispered closely to the boy's ear, which in turn made the boy visibly jump in surprise.

"Ummmm…." He hesitated, but pointed weakly at an image in the farthest right of the map. L looked at the map closely. It said 'Death Drop' in the bottom of the image.

"Raito-kun wants to ride a roller coaster?" L asked again, just to be sure, to which the teen nodded shyly.

"Ah, but it's a long walk from here. Maybe we should…"

"It's okay, Raito-kun. As long as you're happy, anywhere is fine." L smiled and led Raito's hand to their destination.

Luckily for them, they were actually the first ones who thought to try out the newest roller coaster ride at that time, that they even got to pick where they would sit, given that they were the only ones there. Raito chose to sit up front, with L beside him. L looked at the boy, who currently having a mixture of fear and excitement in his eyes. L just pondered out loud.

"I think that roller coasters were actually built for couples," he said. "It is kind of similar to love. The road is not as easy as a highway, there are a lot of ups and downs, or times when everything just gets crazy. This sort of tension brings out excitement as well as fear."

They were slowly brought up by the shaky car, and Raito honestly didn't care what the detective said at this point, as he looked down on the ground, as they got closer to the sky.

"This is actually my first time, Raito-kun", L admitted, as he also noticed just how high they were. A drop of cold sweat rolled on his face. "I am getting a little scared…"

Raito ignored L's worries and simply grabbed L's arm and held tight, burying his head on L's shoulder as the car dropped sharply down. L never even knew that he could scream like that.

When it was finally over, it was Raito's turn to help L out of the car, as the said detective never felt so dizzy and shaken in his entire life. He tried his best not to vomit as they walked on to a bench. Raito got him an iced cold coffee in can when he saw a nearby vending machine.

"Thank you, Raito-kun" he said as he slumped in the bench, lying his head face-up as he massaged it furiously. "I never thought that Raito-kun would have an inclination to these types of rides."

"What's wrong with that?" Raito asked mockingly. "It's not even the main attraction for this park. Besides…"

Raito sat beside the suffering man and opened his own iced coffee.

"You said it yourself. Roller coasters are similar to love. It might look scary in the beginning", he held the poor detective's hand. "But if you put your trust, that everything will be fine in the end, then you'll get to appreciate just how exciting it is while you're there."

L looked at the boy curiously, who have smiled for the first time today.

"Raito-kun must really like roller coasters very much", he groaned, but let the boy continue holding his hand. "It's a good thing that this is the only roller coaster in this park. The main attraction is actually a dolphin show intended for children."

The teen laughed as he heard the pathetic voice that was L's.

"I bet you wouldn't let me go on another ride like that, either way. You're becoming the palest man I've ever seen."

L pouted.

"Not everyone has a passion for danger, Raito-kun. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground."

Raito smiled as he discovered L's weakness right before his eyes, which he actually found cute. He looked back in his map to hide his smile.

"Well, why don't we just check the underground aquarium? It's a little near here and you can keep your feet safely on the ground." The boy suggested. "Besides, the sun is starting to go up quickly. I think it's best if we spend the next few hours in the shade.

"I think that's a great idea, Raito-kun" L smiled, attempting to get up, only to be assisted by Raito. Heck, anything that did not involve him going to rides similar to the roller coaster was a good idea, in L's opinion, and besides, the boy was right about his skin. Honestly, he never thought that he could even achieve such a red complexion. Any more of this heat would make him look like the human hotdog.

The company was actually telling the truth when they said that only VIP were invited this day, as on their way to the aquarium, Raito could swear he had already seen at least a hundred influential people and artists walking casually all over the park. L doesn't seem to notice, though, and the boy is absolutely right in concluding that, because for L, Raito was the only important person in the world, and being with Raito alone makes this day a very special one, without even doing anything yet.

"Wow! This is awesome!" Raito said as he looked at the large aquarium that was right before their eyes, with a diverse selection of fishes swimming peacefully for everyone to see.

"Now I know that it's definitely better to look at fishes by your own eyes instead of just looking at the pictures." L said as he beheld a the large array of fishes freely swimming in a very realistic looking artificial habitat. "This is actually one of the attractions that this Company was boasting of on their site. They said that they completely modeled this aquarium to compete with other world-class aquariums around the world."

Raito didn't seem to hear L's explanations and just looked at the fishes in awe, like a child. Realizing that the boy wouldn't listen anyway, he just watched how Raito was enjoying the whole place, walking all over it to examine every kind of fish, in all sizes. It was easy to relax in this place, seeing how the entire wall showcased a different aquarium, and the fishes, however big or small, seemed to live in harmony and just swam freely on one panel to another. The way they designed the whole place was entirely relaxing, and L was really thankful that they went to this place, as it made him fully recover from his previous 'tension'.

"Hey, L, what kind of fish do you think that school is?" Raito asked eagerly.

"You just ate one yesterday", L simply said.

"Eh? You're joking, right?"

"I wouldn't fool ever Raito-kun"

The boy made a face but soon focused his attention to another panel.

"Whoa! That stingray looks so huge! Oh, and look at that! Isn't that a killer whale?"

L was simply fascinated at Raito's innocence that he just smiled at went wherever the boy was going, commenting on some fishes here and there. It was times like these that convince L that Raito was still just a sweet, innocent boy, and completely forget that the boy used to be Kira.

He could tell that, it was very unfortunate of the boy to come across such a dark object that promises power to its owner. And yet, L was really fortunate to have met Raito because of the Kira case. Perhaps, L should expose Raito to this positive, wholesome environment as often as possible, and keep him from getting a chance at excessive power. If he could pull it off, then the world will remain at peace.

"Raito-kun really likes fishes that much." L pointed out to the boy as he looked fascinated at yet another kind of fish.

Raito pouted at that, but it only increased L's fascination about the boy's fascination.

"Shut up, L…" he said with less strength than he would usually say, which meant that in a way, the boy liked being complimented by that fact. "It's just that, aquariums in general give me this relaxed feeling. Don't you feel like that somehow?"

"I feel relaxed whenever I am with Raito-kun", L answered. "However, being with him here makes me more so."

"It's been a long time since I've been to an aquarium," Raito commented. "I used to take Sayu along with me when we were still kids, but the aquarium in my place was small compared to that."

"I wonder what kind of aquarium Raito-kun went to when he was a kid, for him to be fascinated like this."

"Nothing much. There were only the basic fish you see anywhere in Japan. But the environment is so relaxing that I used to hang out there often." Raito mused. "But they closed it down when I was in Junior High in favor of Spaceland."

"Raito-kun must feel nostalgic when he saw this place, then."

"Well, not really." Raito looked away.

They finally found themselves in a water tunnel where, while walking from a large, tube-like dome, you can see fishes at all angles, including your feet. It was like going underwater without getting wet. They both looked in awe for a few seconds before walking, taking all of their time appreciating such a magnificent sight.

As luck would have it, L noticed that it was just the two of them walking along the tunnel this time. It was only halfway on their walk when L noticed that Raito was holding his hand, being too fascinated with the marine life. L decided not to speak a word, choosing not to destroy this moment with any awkwardness. Raito soon let go as they were at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

"And now, give your hands up for our main attraction, Sharpy!"

A wave of applause filled the open stadium as a large dolphin came out swimming in the large pool together with his trainer, who stopped at the middle platform to wave at the audience.

Apparently, the Company also features an afternoon dolphin show, where audiences can interact with the more famous species of marine life. Raito saw the advertisement while they were eating their lunch, and from the spark in his eyes, L knew that he absolutely needed to take the boy there. Luckily, the walk was not too long and they easily found a good seat in the almost ten thousand-seater capacity half center stadium. Of course, that is to be expected seeing that most people invited today were either too rich, famous or important to even waste their time on a stupid kid's show. It was too easy to predict that the audience who would show up would be either kids, their parents or guardians, and Raito, save for a few apathetic people just killing time.

The dolphin made a few unoriginal twists and turns on the water, with some dance routine, and the children were already crazy about it. L was not particularly interested in the show in itself, and just watched Raito all throughout the show, like a stalker but not in hiding. Eventually, Raito noticed and did not look too happy about it.

"Are you enjoying the view?" Raito pouted.

L nodded.

"Yeah, very much so."

"You're really sick, aren't you?"

L shrugged.

"Watching Raito-kun's pure innocence like this just makes me happy, it is very calming than any show I could ever witness in my entire lifetime." L boldly answered. "Besides, I have learned something new about Raito-kun today."

"Whatever", Raito said nonchalantly, but L could tell that the boy was trying very hard to hide his embarrassment.

"Is Raito-kun enjoying himself today?" L asked after a while. Luckily, the awkward situation just then was averted by the dolphins going through a variety of strategically placed hoops.

"Yeah…I am…" Raito said without turning his gaze to the detective.

"That's good."

"H-how about you?"

L thought about it for a while.

"Well, I guess so. Dolphins are very intellectual creatures. But I am more interested in Raito-kun to even care…"

"Well, why don't you try for a bit? Can't you see how cute they are?"

L tried to see what Raito was up to.

"….I guess…."

"And now we will need two volunteers to join us on the stage!"

A lot of children raised their hands, but for some reason, L's appearance stuck out like a sore thumb that the trainer's attention was easily caught by it.

"You in the middle! Why don't you join us along with your friend?" The trainer's voice boomed from the speakers as he pointed in L's direction. L looked left and right to look if there is someone near him who the trainer must be talking to, but saw no one. "Yeah, you! Come up front, don't be shy!"

"He's calling for us!" Raito said excitedly. Taking the detective's hand he started walking towards the center. "Come on, L!"

At that point, L rediscovered his severe stage fright, as he took in every look the people were giving him as he went toward the stage, and it started to make him feel sick.

"Raito-kun, I don't think it's a good idea to go…" he said weakly.

The boy must have felt his hand getting cold and seen how pale he looked because he stopped walking, and squeezed the detective's hand reassuringly.

"It's all right, no one's going to care anyway. Besides, they're just envious." And Raito leaned in to kiss him in the cheek. "Let's have fun, L."

And that was effective enough to completely clear the detective of any fear he was having, nodding weakly and confidently allowing himself to be led by the boy. He saw the trainer smiling reassuringly too when they were on stage.

"Hi! Nice to meet you! Can you tell us you names, please?" the trainer asked pleasantly.

"My name is Raito, and this is my friend, Gray."

The trainer nodded.

"Well, I'm Tony, and I'd like you to meet my friend, Sharpy. Why don't you say hello, Sharpy?"

The said dolphin nodded and went near the two.

"You can touch his head as a greeting, don't be shy."

Raito went ahead and patted it in the head, and ushered L to do the same. The said man did so, on Raito's encouragement, but only briefly before he withdrew his hand again.

"Thank you! Now, see, Sharpy looks so happy!" there was an applause from the audience. "Do you want to ride on him?"

L knew that this was a clear no for him this time. It took him a lot of courage to just come here on stage, and honestly, he had enough for the day. Thankfully, Raito got him covered this time.

"No, thank you. My friend here has motion sickness, and I very much wouldn't want to ruin my pants." Raito whispered, and Tony was kind enough not to pester them any further.

"Well, in behalf of Dolphins, Inc., we would like to say thank you for being a good sport! Let's give them a round of applause, everyone!" and everyone did. Finally, Tony gave them each a dolphin cell-strap, as a souvenir.

"We hope everyone had fun today!"

There were a lot of cheers that the crowd hardly noticed them leaving. It took a moment for L to regain his composure and finally let go of Raito's hand.

"That is absolutely frightening."

Raito laughed.

"Come on…don't you think that dolphins are cute? Sharpy looks friendly too." Raito joked. "But anyway, thanks for taking me there."

"I am just thankful to get out of there alive…" L said, although secretly, he felt that he wanted to touch the dolphin's head again. He looked at the souvenir he got from the show. "There are a lot of reported incidents of sea creatures drowning innocent people just by getting close to them. I don't want either of us to add in the number."

"Really?" Raito asked skeptically. "But then, most of the drowning incidents were associated with killer whales…I don't think dolphins can actually do any harm…"

"You really shouldn't be too sure about that, Raito-kun. Dolphins are intelligent creatures…"

Raito gave him a look of disbelief.

"You're just paranoid"

"Well, I am very protective of Raito-kun…"

"….Raito?" suddenly came a foreign voice, and the two of them looked to that direction.

"Wow, I can't believe it, it's really Raito!" the man said happily. "It's me, Yuuto!"

Raito thought about it for a while and remembered.

"Whoa! Yuuto-kun! What are you doing here? It's been a long time!"

"I won an exclusive ticket as a prize for being first in the London Piano Competition. I never thought I'd see you in a place like this, I mean, I thought you looked familiar when you went up the stage, so I followed you to make sure…"

"What a coincidence!..."

L watched as the two went ahead and talked pleasantly without him. Judging from their conversation, Raito must have been close to the boy. It sparked something inside L, but he tried ignore it. It would be stupid to ruin this good day.

"So you're still playing the piano?"

"Yeah, I am. Oh, yeah, now that I think of it, I have a concert next week, why don't you come? You can bring your friend if you like."

He took out his wallet and gave Raito the tickets.

"Umm…I don't know…"

"All right, we'll be there." L interrupted, taking the tickets from the man.

"Well, I'll see you there, I guess. The details are all included in the ticket."

He waved and went on a different direction. When Yuuto was out of sight, Raito quickly looked at L's face.

"What? Why are you looking like that?"

"What does Raito-kun mean with that?"

"Oh, stop being so clueless. You know what I mean! You're looking funny…"

"I believe Raito-kun is the one looking differently at me. For my part, I had always been interested at looking at Raito."

"P-pervert!" Raito hit him in the head.

"I think Raito-kun got the wrong idea. I love him, so it is only natural for me to always look at him."

"You sound like a stalker."

"But I am your husband, Raito-kun."

"That doesn't really give a point."

L shrugged, and Raito decided to drop the subject at that point. Honestly, he was a little nervous that the detective might act a little possessive in front of Yuuto, but thankfully, he didn't, and was even supportive of it. Maybe Raito was wrong in thinking that L was the type to get easily jealous.

But still, he was a little disappointed that the man didn't assert his right at all to the guy, by at least introducing himself. He purposely forgot to introduce him to Yuuto, just to test him. Maybe L was confident that he wouldn't just easily find some guy to replace him with? Well, if that is the case, the detective was dead wrong. He could get any guy if he wanted to, he just chose not to.

"Does Raito-kun want to ride the ferris wheel?" L asked him nonchalantly, that it further irritated him.

He tried his hardest to act cool and apathetic.

"Yeah, whatever."

L smiled and held his hand, leading the way.

"You two look like a wonderful couple! Would you like to have your picture taken?", came the cheerful greeting from a photographer standing right outside the Ferris wheel.

L, who was already happy to hear that they look like a couple (it worked like a password to him), nodded instantly.

"Let's take a picture, Raito-kun."

Raito, who was already exhausted from the day , and was still bothered by L's sudden lack of interest in him, thought otherwise.

"No, I don't think we should, I mean, I'm already tired and I don't look too good."

"But Raito-kun looks fantastic every time…"

Raito hid the smile and just continued arguing.

"No, I don't think so, I think my hair is a little disheveled. Besides…"

And the argument went on and on as the photographer waited patiently for them, forcing a smile. After a while, the conversation got pretty heated up until Raito had enough.

"I said I don't want to!" he shouted as punched the poor detective in the face.

The photographer had to run in between them to break the fight or else he knew that chaos was bound to happen.

"I won't charge you, just please make up!" he pleaded desperately as he clicked on the camera. Minutes later, a small picture came out and he handed it carefully to the couple.

L took it and gave it to Raito-kun.

"I think Raito-kun should keep it in his wallet, as a souvenir."

Raito grabbed the said picture quickly and stuffed it in his wallet, looking down to prevent L from seeing him blush. Then it rained.

"Does Raito-kun still want to ride on the Ferris wheel?" L asked him sweetly.

Raito just smiled and nodded, and they went in.

The whole minute passed with just L staring shamelessly at Raito, until the boy couldn't take it anymore.

"Well, aren't you gonna say something?" Raito shouted, but L just smiled.

"Raito-kun is really beautiful." L said boldly.

Raito blushed.

"Don't say such embarrassing things."

"It's not something embarrassing at all." L contradicted. "Raito-kun is a very interesting subject to study, that I don't think a lifetime is enough to know everything about him."

Raito just kept silent, hiding his blush.

"That just sounds weird. I'm not a test subject or whatever. Please stop doing that."

L just smiled at him and looked at him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry but, I can't help it." L explained. "Whenever I'm with Raito-kun, I always wonder what he is thinking at the moment, and what he is going to do next, and whenever he's not around, I spend my whole time thinking what things you could doing at the moment, and what you feel, and yet I still couldn't get the right conclusions. My head is filled with thoughts of you, that I've spent more time thinking about Raito-kun than any case I've handled so far."

L held Raito's right hand.

"When I saw Raito-kun's file as one of our Japanese investigator's family member, I wanted to know more, and researched every record that ever existed that involved you, but it still wasn't enough. When I saw you from the live video feeds, I wanted to see you in person, so I came out into the open for the first time, despite all the risks involved." L narrated while still holding Raito's hand. The said boy was looking a little tensed.

"When you called me your friend, I was so happy, and yet I still wanted you to repeat it over and over, and I want to spend more than what being college friends require, and made efforts to convince everyone that you have to join the team, so I could spend more time with you, and when the opportunity came, I managed to stay close with you 24/7.

"I-I get it now…it was really stupid of me to fall for your traps…I should have listened more carefully to my dad when he was telling me how to get rid of stalkers…."

"When I hugged you, I wanted more. I wanted to kiss you…." L kept on going, ignoring Raito's uneasiness. "Then I finally kissed you, but after that, I wanted more. I wanted to claim your body for my own…but even after I got it, I wanted more, I wanted to claim everything about you, and you agreed to marry me, but still, even now, I want more of Raito-kun."

Raito desperately snatched his hand from L, and covered his ears.

"Please stop saying embarrassing things, L! It's too much!"

But L just went closer and calmly took Raito's hands

"I love Raito-kun." He whispered to the boy's ear as he held Raito's hands, slowly taking them down to his lap as he went closer still.

"I want to know everything about Raito-kun, and I want to learn everything with Raito-kun, because, he is the most important thing in my life." L confessed.

"I know that I still have a lot to learn, but one thing I am most certain of is that I am very much in love with him." L continued. "Knowing that is enough for me to keep going."

Raito was too moved to even say anything. He never expected the detective to confess his heart out like that, and it seemed that L manned up to just tell Raito everything he felt, and it touched him.

L looked away from the boy, afraid of whatever reaction the boy would give, now that he opened his heart like that. It was just so unusual for him that it was embarrassing. Finally, he felt a tear fall down in his cheek, and noticed that he was crying.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Raito-kun! I'm really stupid for saying such things…please don't mind me…." He said as he rubbed his eyes violently, trying to stop himself from crying.

"I don't mind that", Raito finally said, as he took L's hand. L stopped rubbing his eyes, and saw that the boy was actually looking at him intensely. "Because if L would really study my feelings, he would know that I am feeling the same way, and I want to know everything about him as well."

Raito tried to mimic L's speech patterns in hopes that the detective would understand better.

"I guess it's because I love him…." He said softly.

L's eyes widened, but was not able to say more because at that point, Raito kissed him, and L really couldn't help himself for wanting more of such a sweet, caring, and loving boy.

"…Raito-kun?" L asked quietly as they broke the kiss.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me that you love me one more time?" he innocently asked.

Raito just smiled playfully.

"…no, I'm afraid you'll just have to replay that in your memory."

L pouted.

"Then….can I ask one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"Can you kiss me again?"

L looked pleadingly, and Raito just gave up on teasing the detective, and gave in to his request.

"Of course."

**Chapter End**

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**A/N: Can you tell that this chapter is yet another meant for character development? Well, yeah, I'm sorry if the story keeps dragging on like this, but I promise that I'll try my best to get the story forward. It appears that Raito rode the roller coaster here even when pregnant, yeah, I couldn't help it. From the timeline in my head, Raito got pregnant at about the time when they capture Higuchi, so it's around late October or so, and this chapter takes place on the first week of December, so theoretically, Raito is just more than a month along, and I've researched a few, so unless Raito has some health problems, it is still relatively safe to ride on it, although a little risky. Yay for me being the author and being completely in control of Raito's health! ...jk...

Next chapter is another one made for plot development, and I hope I finish it earlier. Let's just say that I'm going to start right after I finish posting this. I'm really excited for it. And yeah, if you notice, I still haven't explicitly showed Raito's signs of pregnancy up to this chapter, since it's a little too early for that, but it will in the later chapters.

Thanks for the support, guys, and don't forget to review. I might not give replies too often (because internet other than e-mail is banned in my work, and it's already too late when I decide to reply), but I read each and every review I get. Hope you enjoyed reading!


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